Leaves in December

Leaves, a few stragglers in
December, just before Christmas,
some nailed down crabby
to ground frost,
some crackled by the bite
of nasty wind tones.

Some saved from the matchstick
that failed to light.
Some saved from the rake
by a forgetful gardener.

For these few freedom dancers
left to struggle with the bitterness:
wind dancers
wind dancers
move you are frigid
bodies shaking like icicles
hovering but a jiffy in the sky,
kind of sympathetic to the seasons,
reluctant to permanently go, rustic,
not much time more to play.

Michael Lee Johnson, from the Chicago area, is an internationally published poet in 46 countries or republics; several published poetry books have been nominated for 7 Pushcart and 7 Best of the Net nominations. Read other articles by Michael Lee, or visit Michael Lee's website.