Between soil and heaven

If a leaf dries and falls
to the ground — today;
will it be called dead
even if it flies away?
Wasn’t it imprisoned
tied down by the tree,
fluttering to the breeze,
bound to awkward realities?
Now that it has freed itself
from earthly bondages
by a sheer stroke of luck,
shouldn’t it reincarnate?
Or should it keep floating,
till it reaches that point
— the point of …