Entangled Routes

The Long Now

Voyager

Touch me & die

Sound Mind Sound Body

Loopability I

From A Clear Blue Sky

Throughout the spring and summer, the leaf which had begun life as a tiny bud, had grown and grown, stretching its lobes out in the sun, feeling the energy pulse through it, and sending all its goodness into the tree.

Along with all its fellow leaves, it had spent the days taking in carbon dioxide and exhaling oxygen to help all the creatures in the forest below to breathe. The leaf was situated on a branch very high up in the tree, quite near the top and could nearly see the rest of the world except for the other leaves who hustled and bustled in the breeze, blocking its view.

One day, the leaf began to notice that the chatter that went on all day between the leaves was slowly growing quieter. Looking around it noticed that some of the leaves were falling asleep and, as they did so, began to change colour. This was something different, it thought, and sure enough, from deep within the trunk of the mighty tree came a whispered message. “It’s time to rest now” 

The leaf noticed that as its companions changed colour and fell asleep, they slowly, one by one, left the tree and floated down to the forest floor. “ I don’t much like the look of that” thought the leaf, although as they floated down they revealed more of the world to the inquisitive leaf ‘Well, that’s something at least” it thought. 

One day, the leaf noticed it was the very last leaf left on the branch, and it could nearly see all of the world. “If only I was a bit higher” it thought when, out of a clear blue sky, a mischievous gust of wind appeared and picked up the leaf, pushing it into the sky, higher and higher.

The leaf was delighted “ Oh, I hope I can fly like this forever” it thought. “My pleasure” said the wind and pushed the leaf even higher.

Suddenly, the leaf noticed that since it had left the tree it was slowly feeling more and more sleepy. “ I wonder what will happen now ?” It thought. The wind, guessing the time was right, stopped lifting the leaf, and it twirled and spiralled, down and down towards the forest floor.

It landed with barely a whisper on the head of a little girl walking with her mother. The girl took the leaf from her head and said “ This is the most beautiful and special leaf ever! Just look and the colours, mummy!”

Which is what the leaf would have loved to hear but it had fallen fast asleep and like the rest of its friends, dreamed of being held fast, safe in the roots of the tree, helping to feed it and ensure that the buds would appear once again in the far away spring.

A PDF of the story is available at :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ehGbmxaa04d8-E7DU2PJVcAEBwL75odq/view?usp=drivesdk

Loopability I

Rafael Toral