Transitions

A poem by Carrie Lehtonen

The trees exhale, and I inhale
Air thick with oxygen
Alive. Nourishing. Healing.
The deciduous forest,
A palette of green and bright yellow,
Peppered with deep red and burnt orange.
Leaves and acorns fall to the forest floor.

Transitions, lessons in letting go.
Everything fades and dies,
And new life emerges. 
What once was gives way to what will be.
Circular, constantly evolving. 
We live, learn, teach, then depart.
Death breeds life.

The trees exhale, and I inhale.
My lungs expand
I can breathe here among the trees
Blue skies, clear air
A time to shed the accumulated layers
Weighing me down. 
Let go. Be still. Breathe.