Standing alone in the graveyard
On a beautiful autumn day,
Looking at trees and waiting
For a leaf to be blown my way.
.
A minute ago they were falling,
Red and gold leaves all around.
Now they are stubbornly either
‘In situ’ or down on the ground.
.
Waiting and waiting and waiting.
Give me a little breeze!
I’m not leaving here till I’ve caught one,
A gift from these beautiful trees.
.
But it’s still now, completely, and silent,
Except for the calls of the crows.
How long can I stand and be patient
In the face of this impasse – who knows?
.
Well, the wind will not yield to my summons,
And the trees seem against me, somehow.
So I stride to the nearest offender,
And pick a nice leaf from its bough.
.
Maybe herein lies a lesson;
Don’t wait for what fate might bestow.
Grasp what you want without qualm,
For the winds of fair chance may not blow.
.
Croydon Cemetery
18 November 2014