take the leaf of a tree
trace its exact shape
the outside edges
and inner lines
memorize the way
it is fastened to the twig
(and how the twig
arches from the branch)
how it springs forth in April
how it is panoplied in July
by late August
crumple it in your hand
so that you smell
its end-of-summer sadness
chew its woody stem
listen to its autumn rattle
watch it as it atomizes
in the November air
then in winter
when there is no leaf left
invent one
Eve Merriam
Reply to the Question
"How Can You
Become A Poet?"
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