Leaf Loss

They had held on the leaves, my leaves.  The persimmon of the maple trees.  The sun of the ornamental pear trees.  The oaks, with their resilient hints of green.  But in the night (two nights ago), the winds blew hard, and the rains fell slanted, and the leaves could hold on no more. 

Autumn escaped me.  It always does.  And now winter is blowing in.