How Leaf We Are

How leaf we are;
At first, all furled in separateness:
Peeping out with little vanities and hopes, also vanity:
Perhaps the last vanity, holding us to that green world
Our life shall be; believing ourselves
So individual, we all reach, being identical.
Shall the prodigal gardener weep?

How leaf we are:
At last, all seared in brittleness
Curled up with tiny fears and hurts, also fears;
Perhaps the last fear, tethering us to that dry twig
Our life become; then knowing what we are
Enumerable, we fall, expendable, all.
The gardener is blind. He will not sweep.

How leaf we are
Like waves we do become; first urged, then merged.
That gardener is a fisherman;
That fisherman's asleep.

-Ronald Duncan

I love this peom so much! It's so sad but I love it! We read it in yr13 english. I was looking through my english notes, preparing for my teaching and I found this poem! I was so happy, I didn't think we got a copy of it but we did!
I love the use of the metaphor of us being a leaf. It's so tragic but also very inspiring. I really inspired me. I hope that I will be able to make a contribution to the world, do something really worthwhile during my life time. I don't want to be a 'leaf'.