⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙
I am an autumn forest⸙⸙ No⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙
I am the leaves ⸙⸙ No⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙
⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙
I am just one leaf⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙
Stretching out my⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙
Sip of sweetness⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙
⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙
Until the⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙
Branch ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙
Drops⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙
Me ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙
⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙ ⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙
⸙⸙⸙ ⸙⸙ ⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙Resizing the Metaphor
Francesca Leader is a writer originally from Western Montana. Her poetry and CNF have been published in Broadkill Review, Hooligan, Club Plum, Identity Theory, Shō Poetry, Door is a Jar, Poetry New Zealand, Literary Mama, and elsewhere. Her debut poetry chapbook, Like Wine or Like Pain, is available from Bottlecap Press. (https://bottlecap.press/products/likewine).