Sunday, November 1, 2009

On falling...



Even as they tumble, they are beautiful.
Among sunlight and trees, I bear witness to a mighty gust.
Its power makes holding on an impossibility,
and carelessly casts a thousand leaves simultaneously to earth.


How sad and unfair this must be,
for the fragile leaf, defenseless, forced to the ground.
I imagine a collective defeatist sigh, 
an acknowledgment that this trip downward lies out of their control.


I wonder about them. 
Why do they fight to hold on,
when their greatest moments,
those spent admired in fiery hues, have already passed?


It is hard to sit still as they desperately tumble, to be a bystander to their end.
And yet, even amidst the tragedy of this final phase,
I find myself, eyes open, mouth agape, in awe. 
What exactly is this that I am witnessing?


Perhaps their worth stretches well beyond the wooden limb,
to a place of deeper beauty only made possible by the fall.
In the colors that shimmer against a backdrop of sky.
In the way they place their trust in the wind, 
without knowing where it will lead them.
In the message they teach us all about the fragility of nature.
Or the manner in which they land atop the earth,
leaving a more fertile soil for the new buds of spring.


I watch these leaves, and I find truth.
That life is not defined only by the highest of moments,
by those of assumed purpose and safety from atop a lofty position.
The beauty of life, too, can be found, in those moments that are out of our control.
In those moments we fear most.
In the falling.


~Kristin Binder

16 comments:

  1. This is lovely. Thinking about you and your precious Peyton

    xo

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  2. Beautiful!! Amazing photos, too, Krissy. You go, you photojournalist, you!

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  3. girl you are a writer born.

    i validate and say, you have the gift, use it for the good! hugs and loved how profoundly you wrote about the leaves....

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  4. Did you write the poem? It is beautiful!

    "Perhaps their worth stretches well beyond the wooden limb,"

    I loved that line.

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  5. Love the poem...the pictures are beautiful too. Thank you for sharing!

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  6. The beauty of life, too, can be found, in those moments that are out of our control.
    In those moments we fear most.
    In the falling.

    These words made me tear up!! Wow! You are so awesome with your words. (((hugs)))

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  7. Lovely poetry and lovely photos, lovely mum. (((Hugs)))

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  8. Incredible poem, you weave words beautifully.

    I absolutley adore the end, this is stunning, "The beauty of life, too, can be found, in those moments that are out of our control. In those moments we fear most. In the falling."

    Remembering your sweet girl. xo

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  9. So beautiful...there is beauty in the falling...well said...breathtakingly beautiful.

    Thank you...and bless you...

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  10. I am linking to this post in my next post...hope you don't mind. It blessed me greatly and I know that it will bless others too.

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  11. Here "from the future" for the Time Warp Tuesday blog hop/writing exercise.

    What a gorgeous post! You had me from your first line... I love this way of thinking about leaves and falling. Autumn is my favorite time of year and I never really thought about how to get to see those amazing Fall colors the leaves need to ultimately die to make it all possible. What a wonderful analogy for the good that can come from suffering our lives.

    As others have said, I was especially moved by this:

    "Perhaps their worth stretches well beyond the wooden limb, to a place of deeper beauty only made possible by the fall."

    And your final paragraph is just amazing. So beautifully written. I echo so many others in saying that you do truly have a gift, such a incredible way with words.

    Thank you for doing the Time Warp with us this week! Now I am heading back to your new post, reflecting on this one to read again and comment.

    Thank you for

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  12. Oh, goodness. This is so beautiful.

    I am quite speechless and dare not mark this page with my dull words. Thank you for writing and sharing this. You have an incredible gift.

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  13. Breathtakingly beautiful. You are an amazing poet.

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