All Must Go

Fall is falling all around us
Autumn leaves co-mingle 
at my feet
They hang on 
with battered limbs
until giving in to 
the insistent wind

Like rain they drop
from all directions
loosening
their grip on life
"Must hold on a little longer"
some not ready 
to die yet

No discrimination
as to color, shape or size
All must go
by time of winter

No leaf 
can be left standing
No disruption 
to the rite
All must be sacrificed
in the cleansing
The baring of the trees

The cycle
of the seasons
must continue as it has
Mother Nature knows
the reason
All must succumb
to her will