a falling leaf

a leaf falls
in gold, dances
to the earth,
crisp, clasps nothing.
breeze tender,
barbets sing
goodbye.

grateful to the light
which kept her alive
that she may nurture;
crush her way
through the mundane.
to give, what a way
to die.

Kamakshi Lekshmanan holds an MA in Wild Writing from the University of Essex. Her memories became Paperboats and Puliinji (her debut memoir). Her photo essays and poetry can be found in Zoo’s Print, Tiny Seed, The Alluvian, The Wild Roof, The Hopper Magazine, and many other publications.