Clinging to life by a branch
Attempting to delay the imposing slip
In a futile effort to remain alive
You tell yourself the pain will pass
If you can just hold on a little longer
The wind hits in a powerful wave
The cold slams into you like a brick wall
The sheer weight
Threatening to pull you to the ground
A cool breeze is no longer refreshing
The crisp tendrils of air reach out like tentacles
Looking to drag you to an untimely death
The tornado grows stronger
It’s using you as a punching bag
Swirling your thoughts together
Until your clarity is all but gone
But you don’t want to give up
Can’t let go
Not yet.
You realize defeat is inevitable
The survival of the fittest takes control
And you aren’t at the top of the list
You’re just one leaf in the middle of a beautiful autumn
Common, unneeded, unremarkable
The world will still spin
The seasons will still change
Without a weakling adding to the population
As your hope slips away with each gust of air
So does your grip on reality
The storm sweeps you up
Into it’s unforgiving arms
Removed from your life source
Your color, your passion, everything that makes you unique
Drains into nothingness.
There’s no time to rethink this
You gave up
You didn’t wait for the rainbow
Now an empty husk
A ghost of the bright leaf you once were
You float to the ground
Now dead and gone
And wait to be crunched underfoot.