Leaves of an Oak

Leaves of an oak fall and crumble
Old men walk beneath they never stumble
When on the ground, golden and brown
The leaves of an oak fall to the ground

As they lie upon the floor
So do you neighbors as they did before
They do not see what you want them to see
As the leaves of an oak are like you and me

The life once lush is dried and gone
This carpet lie before you to walk on
As we tread across our ancestors bones, like old stones
So too are these leaves from an earlier home

We must remember that we just only borrow time
To let new leaves grow, we must let ours decline

(This poem, “Leaves of an Oak” uses the falling and decaying leaves of an oak tree as a powerful metaphor for the human life cycle. It highlights how leaves, once vibrant, eventually dry and return to the earth, much like how generations before us have passed on. The poem suggests that our present existence is built upon the “bones” of our ancestors, emphasizing the continuity of life through death. Ultimately, it delivers a profound message about the ephemeral nature of our time, reminding us that we “just only borrow time” and must eventually decline to allow for new life to flourish.)