why people are leaves

we wish we were taller

we hope to grow big one day

and sometimes

we tower over others

we lose leaves

when people leave our lives

we survive on love and attention

a little water here and there

and enough time outside

so that we don’t go crazy

we are pruned when we learn

to receive light and love

and reject what does not serve us

we cry when people hurt us

we die when we are not taken care of

and we flourish in the presence of care

our stem

like our values and beliefs

shape us

there’s so much we can learn

about each type of leaf

like how no two people

are the same

we are a community of leaves

one plant with

many opportunities for growth

made known by

the collective source

of light and love