Dried and fallen on the sidewalk
Covering the yard in a vibrant orange
They crunch under shoes
And are destroyed by the weight
Of a body that dares to lay on them
Uncaring of the creepy crawlers
That hide underneath
Imagine the beetle under that leaf
Engulfed in an orange hue
Seeking out any last drop
Of sweet maple nectar
How I wish to be that leaf
Under the weight of your soft body
Or that you were that beetle
Drinking sweet nectar from my stem
Children laugh wildly
In the cool autumn air
And chew on sunflower seeds
They won't know
The value of these memories
Until it is too late
And they are old and gray
But the beetle forever cherishes
A meal provided by careless children
Dropping sunflower seeds
In between the maple leaves
Snow falls and the beetles die
As do the Maple trees
As do I
But then Spring comes
And with it a single sprout in the ground
A dormant seed that planted its roots
And grew into a sunflower
And like that it's as if I am reborn
In the warm breath of a new season
Admiring that yellow sunflower from afar
As to not destroy it with my dirty hands
As the heat of summer settles in
I can't help but stare
At the beauty of the unwavering sunflower
It grows tall and proud
Lifting its face toward the sun
I have known many girls
Who pluck flowers and press them
So that they may admire them forever
But I would never hide you
In between the pages of some book
The color yellow never seemed so sweet
Or so bright
Until I learned it was your favorite
I would trade all the wildflowers in the world
Just to hold that sunflower
But on and on I will watch it grow
Untainted by my dirty hands
©hazydaze
H