Leaf Poem by Nizar Sartawi

Little lonely leaf
knocking on the glass door
with your whole feeble
form
gaping at me
begging for
refuge!

Poor purplish fragile fugitive
Tired -
of running away
from nook to nook
threatened -
by the ruthless autumn wind
and unheralded rain?
Frightened -
by the heavy plodding pedestrian feet
the hideous hooves
and horrendous hoops?

Come in
tiny timid tramp!
Let's sit
side by side
to tell silently our sad story
and voicelessly lull each other
to sleep.

… For I too
am but a deciduous
leaf
counting the days
before its fall