Friday, October 19, 2012

The Last Leaf


Here today, gone tomorrow...

The morning sun made it impossible to miss this last leaf dangling from the branch of our decorative crab apple tree.

    It reminds me of one of my favourite movies as a child called The Last Leaf, based on a short story by O. Henry:
    A young girl, dying from pneumonia and confined to her bed, decides she will die when the last leaf falls from a vine she can see outside her bedroom window.  The more the leaves fall, the more her health declines.
    An elderly neighbour, a frustrated artist who has never been able to paint the masterpiece he yearns for, comes to visit the dying girl.  Later that night there is a huge storm and everyone is terrified that in the morning the few remaining leaves will be gone.
    To everyone's surprise one leaf remains.  That leaf is there the next day and the next.  Inspired by the persistence of the single leaf, the dying girl has a change of heart and makes a miraculous recovery.
    The girl is saddened to learn that the old neighbour is in the hospital dying from pneumonia after being found outside, injured and cold, on the night of the storm.
    That spring the girl discovers that on the night the last leaf fell, the old man had climbed a ladder to paint a "permanent" leaf for her on the vine, his final masterpiece.

Sad and beautiful at the same time.


29 comments:

  1. Lovely picture Rosemary

    Wish you a good weekend.

    Greetings, Joop

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    1. Thank you Joop, I hope you have a wonderful weekend as well :)

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  2. Hello Rosemary,
    This is great!!
    Nice to see the last leave hanging on this branch. The light is really amazing!!
    My compliments!!

    Greetings and have a good weekend,
    Marco

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    1. Thank you Marco, all credit for the light goes to the morning sun :)

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  3. I do love that story...yes i had read it before....what a stiking phot great post...love is the great healer and hope!

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    1. Thank you Sharon, it was such a sad/sweet story, it stayed with me all this time :)

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  4. Yo también ví esa película (hace mucho tiempo ya)!! Una historia hermosa y muy bella la luz que has captado en tu imagen!. Feliz fin de semana!

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    1. Thank you Silvina, a story of hope and the power of good gestures. I hope you have a wonderful weekend as well :)

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  5. Lovely story and the perfect photo to accompany it.

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    1. Thank you, seeing that single leaf alone in the tree brought back the memory of the story and how important that leaf ended up being to the girl.

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  6. Thanks for telling us this poignant story.
    Poor little leaf hanging on and all alone, but its memory will linger, the image is lasting - a beautiful picture.

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    1. Thank you Rosemary, the sun lit it up so beautifully, catching my attention from inside the house. I'm glad I had the chance to photograph it before it joins the pile of leaves on the ground.

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  7. Beautiful shot! That story was always so bittersweet.

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    1. Thanks Jill, those are the stories that stay with you :)

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  8. Rosemary, you tell and show a sad, sweet story with extraordinary artistry.

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    1. Thank you Lee, that's the sign a great story, the way it made me feel is still with me today :)

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  9. Its surprising how an image can trigger memories that have been buried in the deep recesses of your mind. Its a beautiful and inspiring story. Its a great photo too. Have a good weekend.

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    1. Thank you, this story has a universal message and can mean many things to whoever watches it, great storytelling for sure :)

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  10. Hello Rosemary,
    Nice to see the last leave hanging on this branch. The light is really amazing!!
    My compliments!!

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    1. Thank you Irma, the leaf caught my eye and I went right outside to capture it while I could!

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  11. Lovely tale, Rosemary! Great picture, very graphical,precise.

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  12. Hello Rosemary!
    A lovely story. Poor lonely leaf.
    Beautiful photo.
    Have a nice Sunday.
    I send greetings.
    Lucia

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    1. Thank you Lucia, I agree with you, the leaf does look lonely but soon enough it will be on the ground with its friends :)

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  13. When I taught English/Literature before being hired to teach science, The Last Leaf was one of the stories my students read. I love that something as simple as a leaf can inspire someone to live. :o) Beautiful photo.

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    1. Funny how the leaf brought back the memory of the story after all this time...

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  14. Oh my gosh....that is so touching. I have goosebumps right now. What a beautiful story and with a wonderful last act of kindness. I've never heard this one before...that shot is perfect for your write:) I always enjoy how photography inspires the writing. This is a perfect example of putting both of them together:)

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Thank you so much for your kind words :)

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