Autumn Leaves
Autumn Leaves is an essay by Hopewell Valley Central High School sophomore Maura Owen O’Boyle & was published in Panorama, the literary arts magazine.
Autumn Leaves
Delight is a seven letter, and two syllable word. Those seven letters and two syllables encompass billions of experiences and objects for billions of people. I believe there are numerous meanings of things, the precise dictionary definition and the understanding held deep in each and everyone’s individual hearts. This understanding varies depending on experiences, which makes it nearly impossible to sum up delight for everyone in a simple sentence. For some, delight may come from riding horses or watching the stars on a summer night, but my delight is different. My delight comes around the fall solstice every year, when the leaves begin to turn shades of amber, scarlet and gold. Leaves don’t always appear this beautiful to me, as the majority of the year they are a variety of greens, including lime, emerald and chartreuse. As the temperatures decrease, the expressive colors of the fall foliage begin to emerge. My interest in leaves peaks during these color changes, due to the complex meaning behind them. The change in color represents the changes we as individuals experience. These changes can occur not only within nature, but within our own hearts and minds.
The delight I experience from leaves also stems from their unique texture. They are sometimes flakey, like the exterior of a warm turnover that has just emerged from the oven. Other leaves are veiny, like the hard-worked hands of the elderly. The variety in leaves never ceases to amaze me, as I am reminded of their beauty amidst the busyness and the chaotic nature of the world. The edges of leaves seem to curl upwards, as if they are the pages of an worn, well-loved book, that has been read numerous times. As I walk through my yard, I step on the gentle carpet of pages of my favorite novels. As the leaves flake apart, my favorite quotes float around me. I’m surrounded with melodic language and words of wisdom that will guide me throughout my life. This visualization only seems to grant itself to those who enjoy works of literature, and is beyond the understanding of those who don’t have this imagination. I feel that I’m one of the blessed people that are able to see life in this way.
The word fall implies that leaves simply drop to the ground below the tree to which they were once attached. However, this is not the case. Once the leaf detaches from the tree that they relied on for months, it begins its journey. It is birthed into the harshness of the world, and must face its journey by itself. As the leaf descends, it is swept along in the breezes. By themselves, most winds are not visible to the eye, but the motion of the leaf calls attention to this wonderful gift of weather that is unfortunately sometimes forgotten. As the leaf continues to dance and float, it migrates farther and farther away from the tree, which once restrained it. Not all leaves have this opportunity, which makes it even more important to appreciate the leaves that do and the journey of self awareness that everyone must face at some point in their lives. The annual process of leaves carpeting the earth provides a different experience each autumn, and I know that I will always find delight in the arrival of autumn leaves.
About the author, Hopewell Valley Student Publications Network
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