Beyond my back fence there is a tall, stately poplar tree. In summer, it’s verdant green leaves hide my view of houses further off in the distance, making my pocket sized little garden feel bigger and more private than it really is. In autumn, it’s small leaves turn brilliant yellow and on a crisp sunny fall day, they blow in the wind like gold coins, twisting and turning in the breeze.
But this week, the weather has been grey and wet. Very wet. Heavy laden with rain, the wind mercilessly tears them from the tree and throws them to the ground. It’s a depressing sight, and one that mirrors my mood.
I’ve felt like the weather this week. As it progressed, a cold settled in, making its home into my head and as my nose got tender and red there was at least one day where staying in bed with a book and a hot cup of tea sounded very appealing. Work and other commitments made that impossible and so I soldiered on, taking solace that some of those little leaves were also still hanging on to that poplar tree.
Even behind the veil of a pesky cold though, I could see the excitement of Halloween. Little ones in my neighbourhood were almost giddy with excitement as they raced from house to house.
And this weekend, when the sun came out (however briefly!), I pulled on my jacket, stuffed my pockets with tissues and finished planting my spring bulbs – tulips, daffodils, chionodoxa, crocuses and snowdrops. As I gently put them to bed under those fallen poplar leaves, I smiled between sniffles, knowing that in a few short months, they will be beacons of spring sunshine and that the leaves will be back again.
