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The Ballet of the Falling Leaves

Falling leaves in autumn offer a unique spectacle,
To whoever wants to stop for a moment… and watch:

Not a single one behaves the same,
Yet all have the same destiny,

Their heavy stems push them down, give them speed,
While they shape their trajectory artistically,

Some play with the wind,
Others resist, fight against it,

Some look like butterflies flying peacefully....floating boats,
Others go straight down.... crashing planes,

Lazy leaves wander around in a slow, unrushed movement,
Those in a dancing mood swirl all the way down, gracefully,

Most move vertically,
But a few prefer horizontal movements,
Perhaps wanting to escape to some other place…

Lonely, scared leaves have anarchic, disorganized trajectories,
Reflecting their sense of hopelessness,

Hurried leaves strike branches on their way down,
While peaceful, happy ones make their way through easily,

And the leaves still attached to the trees are waving,
Waiting for their turn to be set free,
Just for a moment… and then die.

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Dalila Akkal is a French neuroscientist who writes poetry and does photography. She lived in Pittsburgh from 2000 to 2009 and attended Michael Wurster's poetry workshops and classes. She currently lives in the south of France. She is a member of the National Society of Art and Letters (NSAL), section Literature (2008 to present). Dalila published a poetry review "Steel Town" of Along these Rivers: Poetry & Photography from Pittsburgh, Small Press Review, Vol. 40 Nos. 5-6, Issues 424-425, May-June 2008, and two poems in Arkadia International bookshop gazette, Helsinki, Finland, 2010. Some of her pictures have been exhibited in Silver Eye Center for Photography, Pittsburgh (2009), Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (from 2009), and the Pittsburgh metro station (November 2008 to February 2009) during the photography exhibit "Snapshot250" to celebrate Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary.