yellow dance of awareness

watching a yellow leaf detach

dance, swirl, drift and pirouette

celebrating autumn and reminding

me of the passage of time

mindful of the finiteness of life

its dreams, deeds done and not done

of shoulds and failures, of judgement

and self-castigation, of pride – foolish, or earned and quietly smiled upon

good feeling or ache of disappointment

as i measure myself against

what i hoped and what i’ve done

to discover who i am

to learn acceptance of others

and, finally, forgiveness of self