The Fall by Russell Edson
The Fall
Russell EdsonThere was a man who found two leaves and came indoors holding them
out saying to his parents that he was a tree.
To which they said then go into the yard and do not grow in the livingroom
as your roots may ruin the carpet.
He said I was fooling I am not a tree and he dropped his leaves.
But his parents said look it is fall.
SELECTED BY DALTON DAY
Beyond the fact that this is a poem I read and share each year on the first day of fall, this poem captures the heartbreaking magic of childhood in just a few lines. That in-between space of what is possible and what is actual is so powerful, so terrifying, both as a child and as someone who was once one.
I admire so much Edson’s ability to put to words the feeling we all knew, and perhaps yearn to go back to.
ABOUT DALTON DAY
Dalton Day is a kindergarten teacher, and the author of several books, including Grapefruit & Snowman, and Exit, Pursued. He lives in Georgia.
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SHARED WITH GRATITUDE
This poem appeared in The Tunnel: Selected Poems of Russell Edson by Russell Edson, published by Oberlin College Press, 1994. (Available on: Amazon • Bookshop)
DESCRIPTION
“This prized collection of Russell Edson’s prose poems, featuring his own favorites from seven prior collections, constitutes some of the most original American art of this century. This is the book of choice for both new and committed fans of this imaginative poet.” (Source)
ABOUT RUSSELL EDSON
Called the “godfather of the prose poem in America,” Edson studied art as a teenager, attending the Art Students League when he was 16. In the 1960s he began publishing poetry and received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. His collections of poetry include The Brain Kitchen: Writings and Woodcuts (1965), The Clam Theatre (1973), The Wounded Breakfast: Ten Poems (1985), The Tormented Mirror (2001), The Rooster’s Wife (2005), and See… (more)
Read more poems by Russell Edson • Find books by this poet on Amazon • Bookshop • Or view my library
ENDNOTES
- This is Day 68 of Poems We Carry, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Read A Little Poetry—a living archive I’ve nurtured for two decades. For this milestone series, I invited writers I deeply admire to share poems that have meant something to them over time.
- Explore other works in pursuit of: identity • transformation • absurdity • Or browse the index
- If this work resonates with you, please consider supporting the archive. Thank you for reading.
