I am the leaf

I awake.

It's dark, I can feel tiny drops of water everywhere. The breeze blowing silently in the night. I feel a chill as it sweeps over me.

Slowly, the darkness begins to lift and brightness fills the sky. At first dim, the growing brighter and brighter until the sky was as bright as an amber flame. It's the sun. With it’s great ascent into the sky, I feel the warmth slowly drying the drops of water encasing me. I can feel the heat, warming me to my core until I too am bright.

The sun comes up over the hills, capturing everything in it’s path in it’s mighty glow. At it’s command the world around me comes to life. Flowers are blooming, bee’s are spreading pollen, the clouds take shape as they come and go. Birds are chirping singing their songs, as tiny eggs start to hatch in their nests. New life blossoms as does the new day.

With the sun rising to it’s peak, my shadow dances around me as the earth rotates, changing direction and shape. As if it’s chasing after the sun. But my shadow is not the only one dancing.

The fox in the meadow, in the tall grass he plays. The squirrels are chasing each other up the tree’s. The deer drinks from the pond with her baby, and on this pond, a whole other world of it’s own springs to life.

The sunlight glistens on the ripple of water, shining brighter than any diamond. Frogs jump from lily pad to lily pad splashing in the water. The purple lotus flowers on the lily pad’s are blossoming towards the sunlight. Fish in the pond swim together in a synchronized dance.

The colony of ants emerges from their underground fortress setting out on their quests. Their trails lead off in all directions. Up over the hills and down to the stream that leads to the pond. A trail of them even set off up the tree trunk and up into the branches, exploring the hidden world above.

Under the tree canopy the caterpillar that has long been in it’s cocoon is ready to join the rest of the world again. The cocoon cracks open. The most beautiful array of colors shines through. The butterflies wings burst open to reveal a fan of blues, aquas and greens. Truly the most majestic creature in the tree.

As I admire the butterfly, a lady bug has left it’s perch on the petal of a wild flower in the tall grass below and landed on me. I can feel the tickle of it’s tiny feet, the flutter’s of it’s tiny wings. A creature so delicate and beautiful. Speaking of beauty and the flutter of tiny wings, here comes the humming bird for some of the sweet dew that rolls off the honey from the bee hive.

Now the sun has completed it’s journey across the sky, the brightness begins to fade as the sun descends below the tree line. Dusk falls, capturing the meadow in a whole new light. The sun bids farewell to the day until it rises again, with the moon rising to take it’s place.

The owls are waking in the tree’s coming out of their hollows to greet the full moon. They take flight, off on the hunt and a search for adventure. Who knows to what far away places their wings may take them this time. Fireflies rise up from the meadow floor, glowing in the light of the moon. Like the ground around me is now a mirror reflecting all the stars in the sky. For the glow of the fireflies is just as beautiful as the stars.

The moon reached it’s apex in the twinkling night sky. The meadow grew darker and darker as the night went on, until it was pitch black apart from the moon and fireflies. I can see from here, the bioluminescent algae at the bottom of the pond and throughout the stream reacted to the light of the full moon and it started to glow, lighting up the water.

I can hear the wolves in the distance howling up at the moon, and the crickets chriping below as the melody of night play’s it’s tune. The night takes hold, changing the meadow into an entirely new place. Everything is different, the sky, the sounds, the air. The night, a unique beauty captivated in darkness. So different, yet every bit as beautiful as the day. But even in it’s beauty the darkness still holds a chill. So I'll marvel at the light of the moon tonight until the warmth of the sun returns.

Under the tree is not as bright, the canopy of the tree casts a dark shadow over me. But just as I began to fear the dark, a firefly flew up and landed on the branch next to me. The light from this little firefly was enough to light up the small area around me, and I wasn’t scared anymore.

The world of nature that exists around us untouched comes together to display so much life. All the things I've seen in just one day. We are all very small in the face of everything the world has to offer. What is my place in all of this you might wonder?

I am the leaf.