dead leaves still matter
(even as we rake
them away to the compost
heap or stuff them deep
into plastic bags
readied for curbside pickup).
dead leaves matter
(even as their multi-colored shapes
decorate the lawn
while my neighbor mows
his into a fine mulch
shot from the discharge chute).
dead leaves might matter
more than we know
(or care to know as part
of a finely balanced ecosystem
on which so much
of our world depends).
or maybe they’re just pretty.
