| At the apex of the sapling, bare A single yellow leaf Flutters wildly in the south wind Quite stout in its belief That it alone will conquer What others did not endure That when the days grow longer It’s grasp will still be sureLike the flag on Suribachi This lone survivor stands While each of many comrades Lies strewn across the land. Though near the Winter Solstice And the end of leaves’ commission The spirit of this hold-out Defies ordained abscission Though its days are surely numbered And thousands like it fell This fragile leaf of cottonwood Stands tall for winter’s knell Within certain individuals Such strength can well be seen When things seem lost and hopeless And survival’s just a dream. |
| As penned by Rudyard Kipling In his lines entitled “IF,” And immortalized by O. Henry, This last leaf gives me a lift by holding out, against all odds And winning, through today. The victory’s in the holding on, Tomorrow? Who’s to say?Dan Crummett 187th AHC December 1, 1998 |
Visited 15 times, 1 visit(s) today