Traces of autumn
The first snow has fallen.
Only a few hours ago, the world outside
my window was wrapped in white silence.
But perhaps that blanket of purity was never meant to last.
The snow melted quietly,
leaving behind the bare, brown earth once again.
<https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Rqv_PVq_-kI>
Small leaves, long defeated by the tyranny of autumn winds,
have already lain scattered across the ground.
The larger ones that clung to their branches
until the very end are now surrendering,
one by one, to the sharp breath of approaching winter.
Without a single cry, they fall to the earth,
glancing around to find others of their kind
lying near them—companions in their quiet descent.
Beautiful golden dance
And soon, those fallen leaves begin to play.
Entangled and intertwined, they tease
the very wind that once tormented them.
When the wind rushes forward fiercely,
the leaves whirl in circles,
dancing with defiance.
When the wind grows closer,
they split into two groups,
slipping out of its grasp with childlike
laughter that only the earth can hear.
united nature
Perhaps the wind, feeling jealous of their game,
gathers its strength and charges at them once more—
but the leaves, light and clever, scatter away
before it can catch them.
Under the great tree, one single leaf
leans quietly against the trunk.
No one knows where it came from or
how long it has been there.
Suddenly, a mischievous southern wind shouts,
“Stay right there!” and races toward it.
But it isn’t alone. The northern wind, watching
from afar, notices the lone leaf and refuses
to let the southern wind have all the fun.
It joins the chase, and soon the two winds collide,
twisting and wrestling in the air.
At the end of autumn
In the midst of that wild dance,
the leaves gathered beneath the tree notice the newcomer.
“Hey, when did you get here?” they call out.
“You must be tired of hanging on up there all this time.
Come play with us! Let’s tease the wind together!”
From under the eaves, a small wind chime
sways and rings as if clapping for them.
Ding-dong, ding-dong — its delicate voice
travels through the cold air, sending
a message of encouragement.
“Fight bravely for me as well,” it seems to say.
Then the sounds of the whole village join in:
tang-grang, tang-grang, echoing softly in the
distance, cheering for the leaves and their fearless dance.
The winds keep howling, the leaves keep spinning,
and somewhere between their laughter
and the chime’s melody, the world feels alive again —
full of motion, full of play, full of breath.
If you like stories about nature, follow the links below.
<https://smilewithme.today/humanity-has-become-a-frog-in-a-pot/>
