Letting Go – Fall Trees

I wonder

how you feel

when your leaves change color and fall to the ground.

Do you feel exposed,

as you let go of that which has nourished, fed

and clothed you through the seasons?

I wonder,

what if I  lean into the changing seasons

and let go like you?

Will I notice the beauty in the changing,

the letting go and dying?

I wonder,

are you aware of your beauty

that delights my eyes

and arouses my senses:

Cranberry red, golden yellow, pumpkin orange,

this shedding of your leaves

the changing colors in your letting go,

bringing light and hope to my autumn soul.

I wonder,

do you feel barren or bereft

when your leaves have dropped?

Are you cold

or frightened

as you embrace your nakedness?

Or do you hold the history of knowing,

remembering the prior seasons,

the new life slowly moving below the surface?

Oh to be like you

fall trees,

in the changing seasons of life,

the birthing, living, and letting go:

this is how my tree heart longs to live.