John Schneider

PUZZLE PIECES

Early morning rain has
released its leaves from

the stand of maple beside the house.

They land like puzzle pieces
fitting perfectly in place,

their tips tenderly touching.
When the day again turns dry

the leaves will crumble beneath
the feet of children—dancing, fleeing.

They leave brief, henna-hued stains 
on the sidewalk before gradually

washing away.

John Schneider lives in Berkeley, California. His work has been included in The Worcester Review, Tampa Review, The American Journal of Poetry, California Fire and Water: A Climate Crisis Anthology, and elsewhere. His poetry has been a Merit Award winner in the Atlanta Review 2021 International Poetry Competition He is also a Pushcart Prize Nominee.