I plucked it from its branch,
a bright green leaf,
held it gently in my hand
as I made my way home
through the bright summer sunlight
and once I was safely in my room
I placed that little slice of life
on a bookcase shelf
protected from the harsh light outside
but as the time passed
my leaf was robbed of life
so that it began to curl at the edges,
lost the vibrancy it once held
and as the night turned to day
turned to night
the day again more times
than I cared to count,
green became brown,
what once held life was dead,
crumbled in my hand as I rushed
to put it back from where
I had stolen it.
Dead
