You can read it here at the permalink.

Background on A Universe of Leaves:

Andrea: The picture at the right inspired this poem. That picture was taken during an impromptu trip to Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

See doesn't it look like a universe of leaves? There's a sadness to the fall, I always feel compelled to address. But I love the fall.

This poem went through many phases of revision which some of you have read and critiqued. It was much longer but spooled out of control so then I whittled it back down. The feedback was vital because I got rid of a dead leaves stanza that was weighing down this poem.

Then the Editor of Bolts of Silk, Juliet Wilson, had some further tweaks. It's odd how you can look and look at a piece and still miss the obvious like grammar! Like reconciling the noun with the verb in the last stanza and getting rid of an adverb.

It is so helpful and inspiring when an editor writes back to you and offers you suggestions to make your piece better.

So this poem has been through a lot of changes since I wrote it in March 2008! And now finally I feel this poem is finished. Funny how long just a few stanzas take.

About Bolts of Silk:
Read what others are saying about Bolts of Silk

from One Night Stanzas:
"The motto of the Bolts of Silk blogzine is “beautiful poetry with something to say,” and it never fails to deliver vivid, thought-provoking poems from poets all over the world. Juliet Wilson - also known as Crafty Green Poet - is another hardworking editor, running the zine single-handed and dealing with heaps of submissions quickly and without fuss. Her emails are always friendly and if you send her a poem she likes, you can expect to see it up on the blog relatively quickly."