leaving

I see your brown eyes peek out the window like an overfilled cup of tea
they teeter self-consciously on the ledge
wondering why things must fade from green to red to brown
they wander to the ground as I exhale (oh, why are you so afraid?)
And with each hollow-lunged breath goes another leaf from the lone tree
A silent swan dive from the arms of one and into another
or perhaps the vast space in-between
Coming and going softly on my blue belly as it expands and contracts

There is a coolness in the air
an annual compulsion to shed the unmade days of summertime beds
and embrace the fall
the sweeping space that exists within
the loss of a breath
and the cold, exposed bones of winter that reveal who you are, not what you have

Breathe in deep, little girl
Seep through the window and onto me and I will show you the way
Because upon your exhale, you will fear evaporation
as the things you love will inevitably lapse
and fall to the ground easy as baby's teeth
small and dead, though at one time deep-rooted and very much sweet

Exhale, dear, please don't be afraid
Let them all fall onto me!
I'll pin them all as stars to my freckled sides
So at night you may remember them
as you climb the tree, loving the loss that makes it grow tall