LEAVES

Wherever we looked there were leaves…

leaves like ancient parchment that would
dissolve at your touch
wet leaves the color of earthworms
leaves, monochromatic and spikey
leaves of rust and dew
stacks of leaves, mounds of leaves
mildewed and insect-ravished leaves
leaves rotted by the rain
and shriveled like dyspeptic
old men baked by the sun
drifting leaves, whirlpooling leaves
leaves in gutters and clotted sewers
burning leaves, their gray plumes
wafting over rooftops
raked and bagged leaves
decaying leaves reduced to mulch
leaves pressed between the pages of books
to mark a memory or phrase
leaves adrift on river currents
to be carried off to destinations
known only to leaves