Contrary to what my neighbor believes,
There are a number of things you can do with dry leaves.
On the tree, they’re so pretty. Oh, how you admire them.
You love their beauty. Collectors desire them.

What can you do with those leaves on the ground?
Once they have fallen, your choices abound.
Adore them, abhor them, or simply ignore them.
Don’t love them? Then shove them, and see no more of them.

For some it’s a time to closely inspect them —
Find pretty and big ones and start to collect them.
Some you will save and press and protect them.
Most you will leave. You have to reject them.

Lay in them, play in them — fun for a while,
Or pile and style them. Make yourself smile.
Shuck them, and truck them, turn them, and spurn them.
Carry them, bury them. Some people burn them.

Leaf-blower blow them, then lawn-mower mow them.
Find them and grind them, and leave none behind them.
Shag them, and drag them, and gather, and bag them.
Compost and mulch them, or throw in a gulch them.

Batter and break them, scatter and shake them.
Shovel and rake them, forget and forsake them.
Pound them, and punch them, and stack (a whole bunch) them.
Hump, lump, and clump them, then load them and dump them.

Shovel and sweep them. You don’t have to keep them.
So dig a big hole and then bury, so deep, them.
Bundle and bunch them. Crinkle and crunch them.
You don’t want to munch nor consider for lunch them.

Behold all the gold, and to the wind lift them.
Praise them, and raise them, and then set adrift them.
Despite all the limits my neighbor perceives,
There are so many things one can do with dry leaves.

© by Darrell Arnold.
Used here with the author’s permission.