--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The leaves were still on the trees, but…" description: "\"“The leaves were still on the trees, but were becoming dry, perched like birds ready to fly off.”\" — Buchi Emecheta" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/813/buchi-emecheta-19251_trees_the-leaves-were-still-on-the-trees-but-w_166604.jpg" --- # The leaves were still on the trees, but were becoming dry… ![“The leaves were still on the trees, but were becoming dry, perched like birds ready to fly off.” quote by Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/813/buchi-emecheta-19251_trees_the-leaves-were-still-on-the-trees-but-w_166604.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/813/buchi-emecheta-19251_trees_the-leaves-were-still-on-the-trees-but-w_166604.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/813/buchi-emecheta-19251_trees_the-leaves-were-still-on-the-trees-but-w_166604.jpg) > ““The leaves were still on the trees, but were becoming dry, perched like birds ready to fly off.”” [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote likens drying leaves to birds poised to leave, suggesting an imminent change or departure. **In simple terms:** Leaves drying signals an upcoming shift. Key Takeaway Recognize signs of change early. Themes change transition nature preparation impermanence Mood reflective poetic Type descriptive metaphorical When to use this quote - seasonal shifts - career moves - relationships ending - personal growth Key Concepts metaphor anticipation growth Questions to Reflect On - What changes are you sensing now? - How can you prepare for inevitable transitions? A Different Perspective Change may be unsettling and unpredictable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) ## Related quotes > [“She was a finisher, unlike them -- she didn’t wait for leaves to fall and see where they’d land, or even waste time anticipating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tania-zaverta-chance/she-was-a-finisher-unlike-them-she-didn-t-wait-for-leaves-to-fall-and/) Tania Zaverta Chance > [I am the wind and I have no country. I possess no gardens and no deserts. I reach the top of the mountains and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-the-wind-and-i-have-no-country-i-possess-no-gardens-and-no/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Above his monotonous voice one could hear, now and again, a little wind stray through the drying leaves of the trees. A leaf or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-manning/above-his-monotonous-voice-one-could-hear-now-and-again-a-little-wind/) [Frederic Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-manning/) > [It ought to come like the leaves to the trees, or it better not come at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/it-ought-to-come-like-the-leaves-to-the-trees-or-it-better-not-come/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [“The air had a cool crispness to it and the leaves on the trees had begun turning yellow and red.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-reighard/the-air-had-a-cool-crispness-to-it-and-the-leaves-on-the-trees-had/) [Carla Reighard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-reighard/) > [There is, in the heart, the hard-rendering profit. As if we were plucking the leaves from the trees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-lederer/there-is-in-the-heart-the-hard-rendering-profit-as-if-we-were/) [Katy Lederer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-lederer/) > [When men once reach their autumn, sickly joys fall off apace, as yellow leaves from trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/when-men-once-reach-their-autumn-sickly-joys-fall-off-apace-as-yellow/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [Outside, a gusty October breeze was combing leaves from the trees and sending them across her backyard in colorful skitters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/outside-a-gusty-october-breeze-was-combing-leaves-from-the-trees-and/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Animals had returned to what was left of the forest...clusters of orange butterflies exploded off the blackish purple piles of bear sign and winked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-johnson/animals-had-returned-to-what-was-left-of-the-forest-clusters-of/) [Denis Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-johnson/) > [Trees in winter lose their leaves. Some trees may even fall during storms, but most stand patiently and bear their fortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ming-dao-deng/trees-in-winter-lose-their-leaves-some-trees-may-even-fall-during/) [Ming-Dao Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ming-dao-deng/) > [As leaves on the trees, such is the life of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/as-leaves-on-the-trees-such-is-the-life-of-man/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [Days go by like birds in the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/days-go-by-like-birds-in-the-sky/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“No difference, good or bad. Thoughts like birds in mind. Some fly in. Some fly out. Some stay at water hole to drink. Beware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-wright/no-difference-good-or-bad-thoughts-like-birds-in-mind-some-fly-in/) [Natalie Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-wright/) > [“The day we decide to drop the flimsy makeshift scenarios in our cluttered mind and eschew the ‘alleluias’ of self-importance, life can become genuine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/the-day-we-decide-to-drop-the-flimsy-makeshift-scenarios-in-our/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr-2/we-have-learned-to-fly-the-air-like-birds-and-swim-the-sea-like-fish/) [Martin Luther King Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr-2/) ## More by Buchi Emecheta > [I was a threat to a lot of women and to a lot of men. The women cannot forgive me if I remain single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/i-was-a-threat-to-a-lot-of-women-and-to-a-lot-of-men-the-women-cannot/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [Few things are as bad as a guilty conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/few-things-are-as-bad-as-a-guilty-conscience/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [A hungry man is an angry one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/a-hungry-man-is-an-angry-one/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [“Quanto mais eu penso no assunto, mais me dou conta de que nós, mulheres, fixamos modelos impossíveis para nós mesmas. Que tornamos a vida…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/quanto-mais-eu-penso-no-assunto-mais-me-dou-conta-de-que-n-s-mulheres/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [The first book I wrote was The Bride Price which was a romantic book, but my husband burnt the book when he saw it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/the-first-book-i-wrote-was-the-bride-price-which-was-a-romantic-book/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [“In Ibuza sons help their father more than they help their mother. A mother's joy is only in the name. She worries over them,looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/in-ibuza-sons-help-their-father-more-than-they-help-their-mother-a/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [Women should not be suppressed because they are women, because they have children and because of men. Then I am a feminist. But when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/women-should-not-be-suppressed-because-they-are-women-because-they/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [Black women all over the world should re-unite and re-examine the way history has portrayed us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/black-women-all-over-the-world-should-re-unite-and-re-examine-the-way/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [When I came to England it wasn't what it is now, then the black people were very rarely strong. I had a personal shock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/when-i-came-to-england-it-wasn-t-what-it-is-now-then-the-black-people/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [I work toward the liberation of women, but I'm not feminist. I'm just a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/i-work-toward-the-liberation-of-women-but-i-m-not-feminist-i-m-just-a/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [I usually make sure that my stories are from Africa or my own background so as to highlight the cultural background at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/i-usually-make-sure-that-my-stories-are-from-africa-or-my-own/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [I came to England in 1962 as a very young bride, in my teens, hoping just to stay two years and go back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/i-came-to-england-in-1962-as-a-very-young-bride-in-my-teens-hoping/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [“One thing she did not know was the greatest book on human psychology is the Bible. If you were lazy and did not wish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/one-thing-she-did-not-know-was-the-greatest-book-on-human-psychology/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [I believe it is important to speak to your readers in person... to enable people to have a whole picture of me; I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/i-believe-it-is-important-to-speak-to-your-readers-in-person-to/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) > [I'm not just a feminist - I'm a feminist plus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/i-m-not-just-a-feminist-i-m-a-feminist-plus/) [Buchi Emecheta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) [Explore all 29 Buchi Emecheta quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/) ## More Trees quotes > [I loved the game so much that even though our playing field was muddy and we had many trees on it, I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/i-loved-the-game-so-much-that-even-though-our-playing-field-was-muddy/) [Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/) > [Sometimes it's about less is more. It's about the seed. Thinking about this gigantic tree that you think is so beautiful but it started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/sometimes-it-s-about-less-is-more-it-s-about-the-seed-thinking-about/) [Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/) > [“Sitting at the old patio table she’d cleared of leaves, she smiled and leaned back. The stars looked twisted in the limbs of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-addison-allen/sitting-at-the-old-patio-table-she-d-cleared-of-leaves-she-smiled-and/) [Sarah Addison Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-addison-allen/) > [A tree is a self: it is 'unseen shaping' more than it is leaves or bark, roots or cellulose or fruit ... What this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-swimme/a-tree-is-a-self-it-is-unseen-shaping-more-than-it-is-leaves-or-bark/) [Brian Swimme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-swimme/) > [Suddenly a mist of green on the trees, as quiet as thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-richardson/suddenly-a-mist-of-green-on-the-trees-as-quiet-as-thought/) [Dorothy Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-richardson/) > [“a crime to fell a tree and light it on fire, where coals of hardened shit warmed and stunk up homes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/a-crime-to-fell-a-tree-and-light-it-on-fire-where-coals-of-hardened/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [“Nevermore Tree was gargantuan, a word which here means 'having attained an inordinate amount of botanical volume.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemony-snicket/nevermore-tree-was-gargantuan-a-word-which-here-means-having-attained/) [Lemony Snicket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemony-snicket/) > [“Sentinels of trees breathe life into bodies of earthly flesh As their mighty arms reach to the stars we join in their quest for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-ravenswood/sentinels-of-trees-breathe-life-into-bodies-of-earthly-flesh-as-their/) [Ramon Ravenswood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-ravenswood/) > [You could be the leaf that never falls from the tree you could be the sun that never leaves the sky this might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-could-be-the-leaf-that-never-falls-from-the-tree-you-could-be-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The problem with drinking and driving is that trees defend themselves very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-problem-with-drinking-and-driving-is-that-trees-defend-themselves/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [I liked climbing trees and could often be found up one reading a book. I played games with Dad and drew maps for him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhianna-pratchett/i-liked-climbing-trees-and-could-often-be-found-up-one-reading-a-book/) [Rhianna Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhianna-pratchett/) > [You never quite know what you do in life that leaves a seed behind that grows into an oak tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/you-never-quite-know-what-you-do-in-life-that-leaves-a-seed-behind/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [During my first years in the Sierra, I was ever calling on everybody within reach to admire them, but I found no one half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/during-my-first-years-in-the-sierra-i-was-ever-calling-on-everybody/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [He removed several pages of death certificates, which were picked up by another breeze and sent into the trees. Some would fall with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/he-removed-several-pages-of-death-certificates-which-were-picked-up/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) [Browse all 5,290 Trees quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The leaves were still on the trees, but were becoming dry, perched like birds ready to fly off.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Buchi Emecheta" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/the-leaves-were-still-on-the-trees-but-were-becoming-dry-perched-like/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Trees" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/the-leaves-were-still-on-the-trees-but-were-becoming-dry-perched-like/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/813/buchi-emecheta-19251_trees_the-leaves-were-still-on-the-trees-but-w_166604.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/813/buchi-emecheta-19251_trees_the-leaves-were-still-on-the-trees-but-w_166604.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/813/buchi-emecheta-19251_trees_the-leaves-were-still-on-the-trees-but-w_166604.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The leaves were still on the trees, but were becoming dry, perched like birds ready to fly off.” — Buchi Emecheta", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Buchi Emecheta", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buchi-emecheta/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The leaves were still on the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/the-leaves-were-still-on-the-trees-but-were-becoming-dry-perched-like/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buchi-emecheta/the-leaves-were-still-on-the-trees-but-were-becoming-dry-perched-like/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```