Leaf
Impressions
By Oscar S. Cisneros
Like a tear whose saline drop drips mascara down a lover's
face, the leaves left their mark on the pavement, faded
brown stains smeared by raindrops into streaks along the
sidewalk. Yet some were untouched by the rains, their
stark outlines seemingly etched like a fossil pressed
into stone. These marks were all once verdant leaves whose
delicate veins pumped with the sweet sucrose of life.
Now, they are like a morning dream freshly forgotten and
serve only as vague reminders of the color of yesterday.
They will all wash away and be replaced next year by the
budding growth of spring.
