Cycle of the Fading Leaf (Dragon of a Different Color)

“Beneath the veil of withering trees, I trace the roots of life and death, In shadows, I am bound by grief, A bloom that wilts with every breath.” “Once I was whole, once I was bright, Now, I dance on edges of night, For in decay, I find my place, A fragile heart, lost to the chase.” “The vines that crawl upon my skin, Both heal and bind, with rot they cling, I touch the earth, it gives and fades, Life cycles swift, as shadows braid.” “Once I was strong, once I was free, Now haunted by what I can’t see, For in the silence, I belong, The whispering wood, my mournful song.” “Yet from this heart, a flame still glows, In fleeting strength, my power grows, Through blades and scars, through endless strife, I carry both the death and life.” “And when my roots, at last, take hold, I’ll rise again, from ashes cold, To walk the path, though I may bend, This cycle leads to the same end.”