The last leaf on the tree
Poem by David Jason Lou, written in March 2016.
(Human beings can survive for a month without food, can survive for a week without water. However, without hope, human being cannot survive even a minute. Again, the beautiful golden autumn come, colorful leaves gently dance and rustle in the autumn wind. Can you hear they are crooning, they are crooning a poignant story...)
David Jason Lou, author of The last leaf on the tree, has also made a painting with the same title.
How strong the handsome boy was – He won the champion in the game, none of the girls couldn’t have been infatuated with him. He was wise. He had a sense of humor and was good looking. He was outstanding and his parent was proud of him.
Life is not predictable, accident came without any warning. It was cancer – terminal cancer, according to hospital report. Constant chemotherapy made him weak. He no longer looked like in the past, the strong one.
The desperate boy sat besides the window in the sickroom. He stared at the fallen leaves being blown off by the cruel wind, branches near the window had no leaves anymore. There was no soul, only frustration in his eye. His heart cried in the dark painfully.
Lord, please listen to your servant‘s last prayer：“Death is approaching me. I feel my life flowing away from my body like the fallen leaves, falling piece by piece. When the last leaf fall to the ground, it is the end of my weak life! Goodbye my dear parents. Goodbye my family. Goodbye my friends, who I cannot really leave. Please let me disappear from the world with the last fallen leaf. I don’t want to let you see what I look like now. So, let the most beautiful moment of me stay in your memory. Let my smile become the last impression in your mind. May god bless you all peace and happiness...”
It was a brand new day, the boy came to the window again. He sat besides the table as usual. Suddenly, he was stunned by a scene – There was a big green leaf hanging on the closest branch to the window. Is that an illusion deceiving me? He stared at the leaf attentively – Eventually, he found out it was a painted leaf. The leaf was painted on a glass as a real leaf.
Lord! Are you in manifestation? I didn’t tell anyone what I prayed. How could it happen? How come people do not believe there is miracle in the world? Was it a sign asking me to stay in the last minute? Inspiring me not to give up the last hope?
Thank you for your generosity, my holy Father. Since you gave me the last autumn leaf, I should cherish the last hope. Let me gather all of my energy to declare war to the cancer from the hell ! I swear that I will fight until the last breath – like the one in the previous game who fought until getting the championship!
Dear friend, you probably know the end of story. Yes, the boy’s faith to survive worked as a miracle. The evil cancer cells gradually disappeared. Doctors were surprised by his recovery. Only he knew the source of the miracle. The next summer when the flowers were blooming all over the wilderness, he left the hospital and felt life anew. The confident smile reappeared on his handsome face with more maturity and love of life.
He did not go to track down the source of that green leaves, in fact, no one have known the truth so far. Let it stay a mystery, because God will never give up our life as he loves us so much...
