"The Last Leaf "

                It’s an odd subject to write about, leaves on a tree, in mid-December. Coming back from my teaching gig in the Bronx on Wednesday I was struck by seeing these leaves still on this tree. Leaves fall in droves, scads of them in October and November. By December the cold nights and time have stripped the trees bare. We've had maybe eight or nine nights cold enough to kill the leaves and there shouldn't be any leaves left on the trees by now. Not mid-December! But these leaves refuse to go; they’ve declined nature’s invitation, natures call.

                I thought why these leaves, these reluctant stragglers? What do these leaves have that countless thousands other leaves didn’t have? I wonder which leaf will be the last one, refusing to accept winter and defeat. If leaves could talk, what would these leaves say to us? Probably something about being stubborn, doing things their own way, not following the crowd, not being a lemming. Maybe they would tell us how much they like being a leaf. They like the view.  They like their place on the tree.

                When it gets down to the last couple of leaves, I’ll wander over to the tree across the street from my apartment, and silently congratulate them on  their courageous fight. for being the toughest, most resilient of leaves.

                I want to be one of the last leafs on my human tree too. Let’s face it, its fall for me, but I’m not volunteering to be one of the first to go. There will be no lack of taking care of myself so that my early descent would be assured. No! I’m going to hang on as long as I can.  No leaf lasts forever the trick is to try and be the last leaf on the tree. I know accidents happen, a bird lands on a limb and dislodges a leaf, a gale wind blows up and dislodges the leaves not strong enough or caught napping but if you are lucky enough to avoid misfortune why not stick around? Be you as long as you can be you, I say. Beside I also like the view up here, I like my place on the tree. I'm shooting to be the last leaf left.