The Dance of the Leaves and the Summer of Our Lives
Day 5 of 100 Poems. The leaves ripple in sync, cloning themselves on the ground—August’s fleeting choreography. This week’s poem is about summer’s last dance, the 'scaries,' and why we should stand in the wind a little longer
Day 5 Prompt: The dance of the leaves.
A Midsummer Daydream
It starts with a gentle ruffle of feathers
that picks up speed in the wind.
Waves so full of grace it’s impossible not
to notice the splendor in it.
The leaves ripple and clone themselves
on the ground as the sun shines through them
moving in synchronicity when the wind hits.
It’s what I remember most of our morning
walk in Marietta. Through the fields of grass
and trees, and bushes. The color of
the foliage reflecting the precise age of summer,
during the final weeks of August, with
fall riding on her heels – on our heels. Wait. Does that mean
that we are in the summer of our lives?
I take note of my age – but also try not
to dwell. Instead, make the
most of every moment. For now,
just enjoy the warmth
of the wind and how it
makes the leaves dance.
Copyright © 2025 by Carla Monroy
Interpretation of the Writing
The proximity of Labor Day signals how close to the end of summer we are and that thought crept in as I was working through this poetry prompt. The topic itself jogging the memory of another August summer day past – several years back when my husband and I took a trip to Ohio and drove to Marietta to visit his aunt and uncle’s cabin in woods. This setting made an appearance in my poem today.
It was a lot of fun to write. I wasn’t quite sure the direction I would take. This prompt was much more whimsical and one pulled from the list of AI generated topics. The flow of writing seems to be coming with more ease after just five days but maybe it’s a fluke. I’d like to believe it’s that I am falling into the rhythm of daily prose.
Summer Reminds Us to Live Easy
As I take a step back, I think this poem is about pausing and enjoying the moment. We live in a fast-paced society with no shortage of things waiting to take up our attention. I have been all too aware of my age lately and the concept of time has been seeming more important.
When mid-August hits the summertime blues set in as we begin to prepare ourselves for fall. A new school year. A new harvest. A new bounty. When the summer “scaries” set in I turn to the stoics for a dose of perspective. A reminder to be in the now and linger on the sips of morning summer coffee, before the hustle and bustle of fall and return to work mandates become enforced.
August Summer Days Seem to Drum Up Nostalgia
I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles. We didn’t have air conditioning in the house, and I remember the heat in August waking me up in the middle of the night. I would lotion my skin and stand in front of the fan for reprieve.
I don’t quite know how the dance of the leaves led me to the dog days of summer or to ponder the stoic idea of memento vivire – but that is the thing about writing and poetry. It pushes you to ponder the simple things in life. To push us toward positive thoughts when everywhere you look there is negativity waiting to strike you in the face.
What’s your favorite August memory—or how do you fight the summer ‘scaries’?
There are 95 more poems to come—each with its own story, memory, and moment. Subscribe so you won’t miss the next dance.
