Autum

i was walking home yesterday after school and i got to thinking:
when did it turn into fall?
i mean, the last time i checked, it was something like 90 degrees and we were all wearing shorts. but when i looked up from my staring at my shoes as they automatically walked the path home, i realized that a new season was upon us. then i saw the hundreds of leaves on the sidewalk, lacing the street, falling from the trees carelessly. so, why hadn't i ever taken the time to watch the things around me before? it wasn't as if i had some immediate conflict between me and the world so why hadn't i simply let my mind wander, my feet carry me down the road, and relax? why wasn't i able to take an easy, slow pace home, and not let the drama of the day overcome me and overwhelm me? i threw my hands up in the air, put my CD player back into my book bag and forced myself to look at the leaves. directly in front of me, i noticed a small, perfectly structured one falling rhythmically to the wind. i patiently waited the second more until it had barely touched the ground when i menacingly lifted my left foot and dramatically crushed the poor thing. the next leaf that fell, i did the same action. for the rest of my walk, i hopped along, stomping the leaves under my feet. i didn't feel any better when i unlocked my front door but i did feel somewhat at an ease. being able to just accept, move on and go forth, isn't something i do very often. but i suppose that all it took was a little stomp.