Entrant #1. Furled Yellow Leaf
launches,
four reverse
inward twists
in the river’s breeze,
a record for the ages
with a soft, balletic
landing:
9.5
Entrant #2. Wizened Orange Leaf
swan-dives—
but tangles in a
single strand
of spider web
stretched tree-to-
ground, waving
flag-style—
no landing:
3.3
Entrant #3: Unregistered,
cannonballs
like a falling
star,
bouncing
on the path with a
smack, revealing
its acorn identity:
Disqualified (pseudo leaf, faux leaf, leaf envy, nut—not a leaf).
About Eugene Jones Baldwin
I am a writer: non-fiction, fiction, journalism (Alton Telegraph), essays (The Genehouse Chronicles) and have a website: eugenebaldwin.com. I've published a couple dozen short stories and had eleven plays produced. Current projects: "Brother of the Stones" (available on Kindle), a book of short stories; "The Faithful Husband of the Rain, short stories"; "A Black Soldier's Letters Home, WWII,;" "There is No Color in Justice," a commentary on racism; "Ratkillers," a new play.
I am an avocational archaeologist and I take parts of my collection of several thousand Indian artifacts (personal finds) to schools, nature centers, libraries etc. and talk about the 20,000 year history of The First people in Illinois. (See link to website)
I'm also a playwright (eleven plays produced), musician, historian (authority on the Underground Railroad in Illinois, the Tuskegee Airmen) and teacher.
