In Leaf

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Susannah Bianchi

In leaf is an old English term meaning, in bloom…

by the end of April, most trees are in leaf.

I love not only the simplicity, but how it sounds, as if it should be put to music.

There’s a prewar townhouse I love a few blocks from me.

It’s beautifully kept without toying with any of its old-world charm. A handsome man, always in a crisp white button-down, keeps it that way. When I told him how much I loved the house, he said, how much the owners would appreciate that.

At Christmas they hang the most magnificent silver bell that’s so large, it could probably be seen in Jerusalem, and on Halloween, an imposing black cat, I swear, meows.

This morning as I went past, on their pristine steps, sat a long leaf…gold, perfect in shape, reminding me of my mother’s famous pickle dish packed and displayed on every holiday.

I picked it up.

When about to cross the street, a young Muslim man was coming the other way, so in the predawn light, stopped and gave it to him.

He took it, held it gently, smiling, before carefully putting it in his bag as though it were a precious jewel.

He saw what I saw.

Nature, at her very best.    images-3

🙂

SB

About Susannah Bianchi

I'm just a girl who likes to write slightly on slant. I've had a career in fashion, dabbled in film and to be honest, I don't like talking about myself. Now my posts are another matter so I will let them speak for themselves. My eBooks, A New York Diary, Model Behavior: Friends For Life and Notes From A Working Cat can be found on Amazon.com. Thanks.
This entry was posted in Beauty, creative writing, grace, Gratitude, humanity, inspiration, nature, New York City, words, writing and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

79 Responses to In Leaf

  1. skinnyuz2b says:
    June 9, 2020 at 6:27 am

    Aww, Susannah. The beauty of this post brought tears to my eyes. Pookie wanted to know what was wrong. I love how tuned in you are to your surroundings.
    I’ve read every Agatha Christie novel at least four or five times and never came across the phrase ‘in leaf’. Or if I did, glossed over it. So simple, yet so perfect.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  2. Anne Mehrling says:
    June 9, 2020 at 6:36 am

    You touch people’s lives when just walking down the street! I’m glad he appreciated the golden moment.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  3. Stuart Danker says:
    June 9, 2020 at 7:28 am

    Loved the flow of this story. Thanks for sharing Susannah!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. John W. Howell says:
    June 9, 2020 at 10:44 am

    This is a play it forward, O’Henry, In Leaf story. Let’s hope the young man presents that leaf to someone and in doing so makes their day. Thanks for sharing a peaceful story, Susannah.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  5. Dale says:
    June 9, 2020 at 11:09 am

    What a wonderful share, Susannah. He definitely saw what you saw and, as John said, maybe he will do the same for someone else.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. rescuedogdexter says:
    June 9, 2020 at 12:11 pm

    We must remember to look around us, to see the beauty of the ever changing landscapes in which we find ourselves. Cities and countryside have beauty within them. The beauty may be different, and seen differently, but it remains beauty nonetheless. The number of people who travel to the city and stare at their feet, or worse still, at their mobile is saddening. Look up, look around see the things that make, shake and break the city.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. Sorryless says:
    June 9, 2020 at 12:31 pm

    SB

    This story is brimming with symbolism, of a most hopeful hue. I love his reaction to your gift of the leaf. Now you take a simple exchange such as this and you multiply it an eighth of the world’s population and that HAS to engender some positive echos, wouldn’t you just think?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. Gavin and Wyatt says:
    June 9, 2020 at 1:10 pm

    Thanks for sharing your moment with the leaves. It makes me want to take a walk outside.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. ruthsoaper says:
    June 9, 2020 at 6:37 pm

    I hope he saw your heart of gold.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. robprice59 says:
    June 10, 2020 at 2:52 am

    Beauty hides in the obscure. Trees are habitat, fractal, filter, primordial, musical.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. Life With The Top Down says:
    July 7, 2020 at 9:36 am

    I imagine that leaf being Hope, just taking a rest on the stoop while waiting patiently to be lifted and carried on.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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