A Tree Worth of Leaves

A tree worth of leaves
Falls to our feet.  
Leave the rake alone
It’s cold metal tines like unstraightened teeth
Should stay starving
in the brick-brown basement
The leaves left to wet and rot dirty
Soak back home and suck back in
Through capillary action
They climb through roots, under bark,
towards eventual Summer light.
Last year’s leaves fed on by
Cannibal sugar maples
Become new wood and leaf again
The xylem and phloem blood
Now long boiled
To sweet, sweet syrup
On my weekend breakfast pancakes
Rich amber taste
left in my mouth