The trees raise their arms
in silent prayer
as twilight sings goodbye
to each falling leaf
The leaves now brown
and withered
kiss the earth
holding on
to its last embrace
Is there a ritual for letting go
just a smile to ease the pain,
or the promise of Heaven
uttered by the stars?
Like leaves we drift along
clinging to traces of laughter
or remnants of tears;
we gather memories
of lost presence
We, too, shall go
to our final home.
Marietta Lea B. Rosana hails from Tabaco City, Philippines. She is an educator, lawyer and a retired judge in one of the Philippine lower courts. Prior to her appointment in the judiciary, she practiced as a lawyer for sixteen years with a focus on human rights and legal counseling and continues to practice law in her retirement. Her passion for literature, especially poetry, began when she was in high school and, while it took a back seat during her legal career, writing poetry is now her favorite pastime. She firmly believes that poetry serves as the soul of a nation, and that it can strengthen one’s faith. Recurrent themes in her poetry are silence, hope, beauty, justice and God’s love. Her poems have been published in various national magazines, including the Philippine Graphic Magazine and Philippine Journal of Education, as well as the Manila Daily Bulletin (Bulletin Today), a national newspaper.