Last fall
I found the most beautiful leaves
The autumn weather
Had infused them with deep reds
And bright yellows
I took the leaves and stuck them in between the pages of a huge dictionary
And I forgot about them until just a few weeks ago
When I rediscovered them while looking up an SAT word
Now they sit in my room
Still perfectly colored
Stuck behind the glass of a few picture frames
Looking at the frames of fall flowers on my shelves
I feel their pain
A rigorous school year has burnt me out
Just like autumn has stiffened the leaves to their crunchiest point
And I can already in vision the excitements the post-school year brings
But like the leaves
I am still stuck behind my own version of the glass they are now pressed against
The last few weeks of school trap me
And I can’t find a way to get out
