Tea Leaves

Sipping tea here alone

In sunny fall breezes

Afternoon gazes

Into blue sky rarity, a surprise

autumn performance

A singular leaf twirls

Aloft, for this moment

For my eyes to take notice

Stretching time with float

As if to linger on the contrails

of all others gone before

As if to sail a victory lap

For a life well lived

Palms up to radiance

In celebration of being tree

As if to sing weeeeeee

With its winding whirl of praise

Before joining the scattering

Not of ashes in solemn memorial

Yet in cheer of nature’s confetti

For the next life—

Reunion with earth

With roots & mycelium & soul of soil

Perhaps this is what it is like to die

A release, a whirl and a weeeeeeee

Into the reunion with the Mystery

May the tea leaves read—

Peace; A wonder of Thee