The dying of the light

There is a red maple in my back yard which right this moment is at the apex of its fall color. As the wan autumn sunlight streams through its leaves at steep angles in the shortening morning and afternoon, the overlapping translucent leaves form a kaleidoscope of iridescent shades of orange and red. Soon the leaves will dry, crinkle and drop into the pond below as the tree goes dormant for the winter. But for a few ephemeral days each year the maple puts on its outrageous, delicate show, one last stretch and a yawn before rolling over and going to sleep.    

A psychedelic Japanese watercolor