Fall is leaving — is the waving flurry of a thousand goodbyes, their deciduous mortality decided long ago, a long downpour in endless succession, like the energy of life has packed up to find a new home. Fall is leaving, is that label, “homeless.” I should have known she’d be gone too soon, had I only known how to read her face, imprinted in my mind, but my illiterate hands wrote no note of goodbye. I thought “I’m leaving” was a sappy try for extra treats, a threat to punish my consequence. The girl who asked if I knew how…