Leaves gently drifting, their russet and golden colours lending contrast to the dullness of an autumnal day. Life passes before me and I see the beauty of children at play, the presence of young lovers, elderly couples enjoying their own company, the joyous laughter and the feel of a cooling, gentle breeze.
My life has been short compared to many yet I had been born, had grown to the fullness of youth and am now fading, assured, in time, others will take my place.
My final destiny has been reached. I am the leaf and it’s my time to fall.
Schools and students have permission to use this graphic for non-commercial, educational purposes.
Ross's Writing Blog 
Laura Alonso
October 8, 2013 at 20:27
Lovely take on the prompt!
Ross Mannell
October 11, 2013 at 21:24
Thanks for the comment.
I was looking for something a little different.
Lisa A. Kramer
October 9, 2013 at 09:11
So sad. But fall is like that, isn’t it? Beauty leading to the fading of that beauty. Sigh.
Ross Mannell
October 11, 2013 at 21:26
Thanks for the comment.
I love the colours of fall despite having few deciduous Australia native trees in Australia. We have a Japanese maple to share our autumn colours.
Lisa A. Kramer
October 12, 2013 at 02:03
Japanese maple are gorgeous in the fall.
lovelylici1986
October 10, 2013 at 11:50
Very well done!
I love autumn, and I miss it since moving back to the land of summer-only. This made me feel like I’m surrounded by trees shedding leaves of yellow and orange again. 🙂
-Alicia Audrey
Ross Mannell
October 11, 2013 at 21:28
Thanks for the comment.
As an Australian, we don’t see many native deciduous trees here but our parks have often borrowed autumn colours from overseas.
sandraconner
October 10, 2013 at 14:12
What a lovely, thoughtful piece. I like it very much.
Ross Mannell
October 11, 2013 at 21:29
Thanks for the comment.
I thought I would try looking at autumn from the perspective of the leaf.
sandraconner
October 12, 2013 at 03:39
If you don’t mind, I’d like to share this with the college creative writing class that I teach (with full credit to you, of course). We have been discussing point of view and perspective. Some of them have found it difficult to get into different points of view or change the perspective by changing which character tells the story. I think this will be a great example of what I’ve been talking to them about.
Ross Mannell
October 12, 2013 at 06:38
Please feel free to make use of the story. It’s good to read some may find it of use. Writing to a word is more a mind exercise for me as is looking for unusual uses of prompts. 🙂
Rachael 'Honest' Blair
October 12, 2013 at 23:31
Lovely take on the prompt, great idea to have a leave as narrator!