First, They're Bright And Delightful

At first, autumn leaves are brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows. Still attached to trees, they're Nature's masterpieces painted against a sky blue background.

Then the leaves begin to drift lazily down, kissing the ground below—some land on shrubbery, some on  sidewalks, streets, and driveways.

In a few days, they're brown and brittle, with nothing to commend them—until someone walks on them.

Delightfully, they crunch beneath our feet, sounding like drum brushes on a snare drum.

DELIGHTFUL DESCRIPTIONS OF AUTUMN LEAVES

"Autumn leaves don't fall, they fly. They take their time and wander on this their only chance to soar." —Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing

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"It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon." —Sarah Addison Allen, First Frost

"Autumn teaches us the beauty of letting go. Growth requires release—it’s what the trees do." —Ka’ala

"And all the lives we ever lived, and all the lives to be, are full of trees and changing leaves." —Virginia Woolf

"The leaves are all falling, and they’re falling like they’re falling in love with the ground." —Andrea Gibson

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree." —Emily Brontë

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Now, with yard broom in hand, I reflect on those lovely words as I go forth to do battle with the brown, crunchy detritus covering the patio and driveway.

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