Compass Point

Background:
On Sunday, there was a lone little leaf on the second or third step up to our sanctuary/auditorium.  It was there first thing in the morning as I went up the stairs from Sunday School classes to the church auditorium.  It must have stuck to someone's shoe departing from its place on the walkway outside under our two huge round maples in the front of the church, and to then deposit itself on the step inside.  I came down a different set of steps after the service and forgot about the leaf.  Like, who remembers leaves anyway?

But in the evening, arriving for choir practice before the evening service, I went up the same steps.  And there it was.  Untouched by feet.  People must have gone around it or over it because it was on the same step and in the same position as in the morning.

I had to stop and take its picture.  It was just fairly begging for a photo shoot.  It was a little more dried than it was in the morning, but still a vibrant reddish orange on the dark wooden step.

I wrote a long, long rambling thing to go with this hoping it would just start being a poem.  I didn't like it much, and didn't hold out much hope for it ever being born.  But I copied the words onto the image, and then began whittling away at it until this sprang out from the remaining words.  It was a long labor, but it got born.
And now I like it.  A lot.

If you get a chance, hop on over to Silver Birch Press! They had my poem, "Fairy Floss" included in their My Sweet Word Series. I was thrilled to have a poem in there!

And visit Michelle H. Barnes, Today's Little Ditty, where she is wrapping up the "unrequited to requited" love poems inspired by Marcus Ewert.  I submitted "Cat Rants and Recants", inspired by my dog and cat.  I also posted it last Saturday.

Happy Poetry Friday to all - it's the last one in October!  Jone at Check It Out is hosting today, so go on over and see what else is in store for the end of October.  Seems like only yesterday we were saying how hot it was...

Remains to Be Seen

From the tree
Red released -

A welcoming
shard of Light -

This stained glass
on a dark path;

You remain my
my Compass Point.

©Donna JT Smith, all rights reserved