Do Drowned Leaves Dream?

Posted on November 10, 2022 by mitchteemley

the-magic-puddle-tara-turner

Do drowned leaves dream

of the lives they once lived in the sky

while living leaves ponder

the fate that awaits by and by?

Autumn Leaf (pngarts.com)

About mitchteemley

Writer, Filmmaker, Humorist, Thinker-about-stuffer
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38 Responses to Do Drowned Leaves Dream?

  1. Athira says:
    November 10, 2022 at 11:38 am

    Powerful and thoughtful..

    Reply
  2. joynealkidney says:
    November 10, 2022 at 11:45 am

    And why do house sparrows still congregate in the conifer to squabble about the election?

    Reply
  3. Chaya Sheela says:
    November 10, 2022 at 11:57 am

    I love this poem full of wonder!
    Beautifully described, “Drowned leaves dream and living leaves ponder.”
    Best wishes.

    Reply
  5. kindfeelings says:
    November 10, 2022 at 12:09 pm

    Lovely poem Mitch, everything goes back into the earth.

    Reply
  6. malcolmsmusingscom says:
    November 10, 2022 at 12:43 pm

    And I reflect on my identity both as a drowned leaf and a living leaf….

    Reply
  7. nonsmokingladybug says:
    November 10, 2022 at 12:48 pm

    It’s not just a very good poem, but also a good question. Do leaves dream? I hope they do.

    Reply
  8. Rebecca Fegan says:
    November 10, 2022 at 1:13 pm

    Drowned leaves are leaves that have fallen–detached from the tree. So they’ve already been cut from their tether to life when they land in the water. Dead leaves, therefore, cannot drown. Dead leaves, being dead, also cannot dream.

    I imagine leaves emerging in the spring and experiencing the cool winds and rain of birth, the hot and sunny days of maturity, and the glorious color and appreciation of the last fleeting bits of warmth in Autumn before they fall. Being leaves, I would think they do not ponder the future because EVERYTHING they have experienced in their short lives has been new. They live in the moment and experience it in joy. The color they show might be an expression of thankfulness for all they have become and what they have undergone to that point.

    Reply
    • mitchteemley says:
      November 10, 2022 at 2:18 pm

      I sense a rebuttal poem coming on, Rebecca. ;>)

      Reply
      • Rebecca Fegan says:
        November 10, 2022 at 5:54 pm

        The tingle of life,
        The breath of sweet air.
        The kiss of the sun on
        the buds still fair.
        The first stretch of life,
        Unfurling and green,
        The gentle rains come
        with drizzle unseen.
        The energy in
        The process of light
        Feeds roots and branches
        and gives oaks their might.
        And then when the sun
        begins to fade
        and the air turns cooler
        and we face unafraid
        the end of our span
        the change of our hue
        we celebrate now
        and we get what is due.
        Rest. Sleep.
        Fall and float
        We nourish the ground
        and make a warm coat.
        The roots dig down deep
        The creatures are fed
        Our colors will fade
        But we still serve when dead.

        Reply
    • nonsmokingladybug says:
      November 10, 2022 at 2:43 pm

      Considering they don’t have a soul, but since we don’t know for sure, perhaps they can dream, even though they are dead. The dead leaves afterlife?

      Reply
  9. sandyroybessandbugzy says:
    November 10, 2022 at 1:28 pm

    Ah, so profound? I think …

    Reply
  10. Andrew Reynolds says:
    November 10, 2022 at 1:51 pm

    Way too profound for so early in the day.

    Reply
  11. murisopsis says:
    November 10, 2022 at 2:17 pm

    The drowned leaves become part of the river, lake, or stream. Then they add their experience to that of the water, hum and sing along with the fish and otters, and eventually become the mud…

    Reply
  12. Lesley says:
    November 11, 2022 at 2:12 am

    Beautiful poem and interesting comments . . . and that gorgeous photo!

    Reply
  13. K.L. Hale says:
    November 11, 2022 at 8:13 am

    How beautiful, Mitch. 🍁

    Reply
  14. markbierman says:
    November 11, 2022 at 10:37 am

    Nicely done, Mitch!

    Reply
  15. Ann Coleman says:
    November 11, 2022 at 3:00 pm

    This reminds me of a chapter in the book “Bambi” by Felix Salten. (Nothing like the Disney movie.) In it, two leaves are still clinging to the tree, after so many have fallen. They’re discussing whether they’ll fall too, and each reassure the other that they still look fine and will make it through the Winter on the tree. And then one falls…..

    Reply
  16. Nguyễn Thị Phương Trâm says:
    November 12, 2022 at 9:46 pm

    Very Zen Mitch. Food for thought on a Sunday. 🙂

    Reply

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