I didn’t see a fallen tree today
Or the sun’s trajectory
But leaves dropped at the first rain
Sunk under wet air
On the sidewalk
Where my soles warned of slippage
Paused and watched
Each new drop at the end of a long journey
On denuded branches
Like a snail following a trace
Drawn by the ineluctable force
Of gravity
To dive, once more, and collide
With the fallen leaf
Releasing on impact a whiff
Bouncing back to my nostril
Suddenly aware of the new autumn.