The Amber Drift

He clung to a branch in the autumn sun, An amber leaf, last glowing one. With specks of red on his softened spine, A ladybug friend, just killing time. They danced with the breeze, laughing low, Swaying in rhythm, not ready to go. But winds are liars with velvet breath, They whisper life, then sing of death. Clouds grew darker, sky stretched wide, The ladybug hid as the leaf untied. He whispered, “Hold tight, it’s just a breeze…” But the wind had other destinies. They were caught in a shriek, in a spinning scream, Tossed through the storm like a half-formed dream. A blur of sky, of pain, of flight, Through branches torn and swallowed light. The leaf was the sail, the bug was the crew, Riding a twister no soul ever knew. One swirl from the earth, then the heavens they kissed, Together they vanished into the mist. Then… A hush… A hush and a fall… A spin through silence, a breath so small. They landed afloat in a silver stream, A winding escape from a sky of screams. The ladybug blinked, legs tucked in, The leaf just drifted, worn and thin. But still they moved, through quiet reeds, Past memories tangled in river weeds. No roots below, no sky above, Just ripples of peace and echoes of love. Amber and red, they found their grace, Two tiny souls in nature’s embrace. The leaf had flown, the storm had passed, But journeys like these are meant to last.