In my town they dislike the falling leaves.
Taking up real estate reserved
for pristine green lawns
And tenderly tended flowerbeds.
Crossing borders in disheveled groups,
no respect for property lines,
or the privileged space of fenced-off estates.
Who are they—these usurpers?
Where did they come from?
Spending the day lounging in the sun
as if they had nowhere to go.
Can’t they apply for residency
like proper foliage?
I watch with satisfaction as armies
of landscapers chase them
with their high-powered blowers
Into waiting trucks and vans
to be hauled away and out of sight.
Thankfully, the workers,
most of whom are immigrants,
are there to take care of the problem.
Lisa Seidenberg is a writer and filmmaker residing in coastal Connecticut where there has been a noticeable influx of leaves falling this Autumn, due to the lack of rain. Her recent writing has appeared in Gyroscope Review, Atticus Review, Asymptote Journal, The NewVerseNews, One Art: A Journal of Poetry. She is currently a peer poetry reviewer for Whale Road Review.