I Wonder At The Leaves Poem by Sarah S. Walters

I wonder at the leaves
All shriveled and brown,
Hanging from a tree
Which has long been under
The spell of winter's sleep,
How they cling so tightly
To the branches,
Refusing to let go.
Don't they know
That the tree that once
Nourished them
Has become the one
Who now needs sustenance
For the long, cold days ahead
And that through
Falling to their death
They ensure the sprouting
Of a new generation
Come spring?

(December 26,2015)