"Tell Me Another Story," by Lisa Suhay to be published by Paraclete Press on Sept 1, 2001
Leaf looked out across the broad, dawn-pink sky and
down over the beautiful spring garden.
As it moved, Leaf saw all the corners of the garden
with its flowers, bushes, trees and animals.
Leaf adored all the elements - wind, sun and rain. But
it was in love with the wind.
Wind gave it the freedom of motion.
Wind whistled haunting tunes through the branches,
On many days, Wind told Leaf of the places it had
been.
"High up the mountain to the very door of Heaven
today,"
Leaf shuddered with the thought of having Life speak
to it as it did to Wind. "When will life speak to me?" Leaf asked Wind.
The breeze warmed as it blew over Leaf and Wind said
softly,
Whenever it blew past, be it a breeze or gale,
"I will love you for all time," Leaf whispered to the
moving air around it.
Hearing this promise Tree itself shook and emitted a
deep chuckle.
Leaf stiffened at these words.
"That is not so!" Leaf cried.
Tree shook again and said, "Oh but it is true.
The tree said no more. Leaf tried not to think about
what Tree had said.
That very day, Leaf made a decision. It shouted to the
world, "I will Never hate Wind. I will not give in to fear or unhappiness."
Still, the next time Wind came to call, Leaf could not
help but ask.
Wind was silent for a long moment.
Leaf was shaking and Wind could see the fear beginning
to overtake Leaf.
Again Leaf felt strong. "Tell me of your travels,"
Leaf said.
Time passed. Leaf grew and changed. At first it became
very big and strong.
"You are most beautiful today," whispered Wind.
Leaf shook a bit, knowing full well that many of the
others had also begun to change and take on different hues.
"It is the beginning of the end for you and all your
kind," Tree said.
All the other leaves began to droop and some even
tumbled from their homes early
Not Leaf. "Words, words, words," Leaf laughed. "You cannot harm me with words.
Tree shook with frustration and anger.
As days passed Leaf began to feel thin and tired.
Just seeing Leaf cling to happiness while all those
around it fell made Tree angry.
Tree watched and waited for Leaf to scream and cry, to
realize what horror had just befallen it.
One moment Leaf was held fast to Tree and the next it
was falling, flipping end over end.
"You are falling! Plunging," shouted Tree.
"I am soaring like a little bird," Leaf sang out. "See
how I go!"
Leaf felt something lift it up. It was Wind come to
keep its promise.
Wind carried Leaf ever so gently to the ground and
allowed it to rest there.
Leaf was not stirred to sadness by Tree's words.
Instead of feeling old, stiff and papery, Leaf felt
suddenly free to move about.
"Did I not promise all would be well," crooned Wind.
And so Wind did carry the dust of Leaf and scattered
it over fields,
Everywhere it fell the remains of Leaf brought a grain
of pure joy,
One day in springtime Wind rustled past Tree and heard
Tree telling all the young leaves about
Wind came back through Tree singing a breezy tune,
If ever you wonder which leaves listen to Wind and not
Tree,
Leaf stretched to catch every sight and sound.
It was a new leaf at the top of a very old tree.
Without the breeze it would never have seen the world below or from side to side.
Wind rocked Leaf to sleep and shook it awake.
Wind made Leaf dance.
it whispered and sometimes it even sang.
"All across the Rivers and down to the sea have I been," whispered Wind.
On that day, Leaf could even smell the scent of the water and salty places of which Wind spoke.
I have heard the voice of Life itself and it is so beautiful."
"You can Hear Life's voice in me."
the little green leaf waved a joyful greeting to Wind -
like the hand of a happy child to a loved one.
"I could not be happier."
"I am glad you are happy now," the tree said.
"Enjoy your youth and beauty while you can,
for soon enough you will be withered and brown,
dry as dust and blown away with by the same breeze that stirs your heart today."
The other leaves said nothing.
One or two fell like tears before their time, so stricken were they by the sadness.
I have seen many, many leaves from many trees fall and crumble.
Your time will come to curse the wind and the way of things.
Wind is old and you are young. Ask Wind sometime."
Of course it had heard the stories of how leaves grow old and die,
but still it would never be hateful.
"When I become old, dry and brittle will you destroy me as Tree says," Leaf asked.
"I will not destroy you my dear one," Wind said.
"All Earthly things grow old and dry. That is not my doing."
Wind added, "Keep your promise not to give in to hate and sorrow and when the time comes for you to fall,
I will be there to catch you. It will be a
beginning and not and end for you."
Wind spoke well into the night.
Then, as the air grew chill, Leaf began to take on the most magnificent colors.
First a yellow cast and then little patches of red and gold began to creep across it.
"I do
not think that of all the leaves in the world there is one to match you."
Still, the words brought joy.
"Soon now, oh so soon, you will be nothing but a speck in the dirt."
as the weight of that unhappy thought dragged them down to Earth.
I choose to be happy with my fate.
Others choose to be sad.
The only one who will be sad when I am gone is you old tree for then who will you talk to?"
"You will see," Tree bellowed. "You will be dirt!"
The
bright colors that covered Leaf darkened to brown and Leaf knew its time grew short.
Still it would not be sad because each day now Wind told Leaf of the wonderful adventures that were to come.
One day it could stand it no more and when Wind came to call,
Tree shook for all it was worth and Leaf snapped away from its branch and began to fall.
Instead Tree heard the sound of laughter.
"I am flying!" Leaf laughed in pure joy.
"I cannot take you far right now, just to rest on the ground.
No matter what happens, do not be afraid. I will return for you."
Leaf could feel the rumble of the roots from Tree as it laughed and said," You see?
Now you are ready to become like all the others.
It is all just as I said. Just give up now."
It
did not answer, but lay quietly looking up at the world. It all looked so different now.
After a time, Leaf nodded off to sleep and a long time passed before it woke.
It could hear wind singing softly through the trees and felt itself being lifted and spun higher and higher.
"You have become the dust of the Earth, so light and so fine that I can carry you anywhere with me."
onto the backs of birds that flew to mountains and into streams that led to oceans.
Finally Wind seeded the clouds with the last few tiny
grains that were once Leaf and Leaf came back to Earth with rains and snows.
a drop Of hope and touch of love for wind and life.
the Leaf that had loved the Wind and perished in the dirt.
"Listen my children, but not to those who tell you that your fate is in the dirt.
Listen to me instead.
I will tell the tale of how you will become Heaven's Dust.
Believe and you will never dread."
look up on a stormy day and see, which ones wave, a joyous greeting and which fall down in sorrow.
*Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving,
and tolerant with the weak and the wrong.
Sometime in your life you will have been all of these.
Dr. Robert H. Goddard
American rocket engineer 1882-194
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