Fall

Watching the leaves come tumbling down,

I'm tempted to give in to sadness, and frown.

Summer's eternal (in recent recall)

But there's no denying the arrival of Fall.

Missing the sweet scents and blooms of July,

Fruits in my garden, a bright blue clear sky.

The shifting of Seasons, wild rain clouds and wind,

Herald replacement of days that have been.

The fragrance of apples and dry, leaves of brown

Surround trips to farm stands just outside of town. 

Cinnamon, pumpkins, sweet cider and mums

Are replacing the Summertime treats one by one.

Well, ready or not this Autumn is here!

I'd rather just smile than to shed bitter tears.

After all, It is only a number of days

Before Winter's cold breath will blow Fall away!

My Chapel of Choice

   This Sunday morning my cathedral is beneath the tall spires of the trees.

   Brown crispy angels are descending from Heaven; spiraling, floating, some in coats of many colors.   The incense of  autumn leaves and earth is setting an air of reverence.  Stained glass leaves of gold, red and green against a clear blue sky are my sanctuary.  A dome of bending branches are like an old time outdoor canopy revival meeting.  Wind whispering and whistling through the pines, as if it were a pipe organ, revives my spirit.

   The congregation of creatures is gathering.  A fellowship of feathered friends, a choir of crickets and a hidden harmony of tree frogs are ready to begin.  There is silence for reflection,  a birdbath for baptism and the sacred, ancient music of birdsong to stir the soul.  A synagogue of devotion to the Source of all things great and small.  One can feel the bless-ed presence of the Pastor in the air.

   There is symbolism here to ponder.  The dogwood tree, the sparrows and what is left of the lily stalks are an inherent reminder of the sacred secrets Nature holds and the divinity and sanctity in all life.  After all, the "Good Book", Torah and scrolls of our ancestors were all made of trees.

Contemplation

I think I'd like to sit amongst the trees for awhile,
And leave behind my hectic, distraction filled lifestyle.
No one's in a hurry out here in the yard,
No one's rushing, no ones pushing hard.

Leaves descending, floating down toward the ground.
The breeze assists the process, otherwise, not a sound.
A few bird tweets remind me, that I could be more detached
From tv, devices and voices, email, tweets and fax.

A long deep breath in and I am once again renewed!
It only takes a moment to refresh and restore my mood.
Silky clouds drifting over my busy head.
Let go, let God, relax and breathe instead.

The Character of Leaves

Bradford Pear Tree

Brilliant leaf gems will glow when the setting sun shows through them,
gleaming their red green and gold.
As the daylight grows short, orange dancers cavort at the tips of the twigs that they hold.

They float on the breeze, parachuting from trees which can no longer hold them aloft.
Leaves rattle and quake, crisply they shake in cold Autumn gust or winds, soft.

They whirl and they glide and spin as they ride on even the gentlest puff.
Streaming down through the air they warn us "Beware, for the winter winds soon will be rough".

They gather and meet, crunching under you feet.  Nature's gift is their spicy Fall scent,
Kid's squeal happy sounds, when leaping in mounds of them, wrecking hours of raking time spent.

Needles of pine are a leaf of a kind, though they don't all turn sepia tones.
As the Solstice occurs, scents of cedar and fir, remind us of holidays home.

So you see, there is glee in the heart of a tree, in the traits of the leaves at great heights.
Such beauty unfolds til the nights get too cold, and the North wind beckons "Take flight!"                    







                               

Torn Between Two Seasons

    There's a whisper of Fall in the air.       ~Just a whisper.~       The air is still infused with Summer humidity.  The breeze is still filled with myriad various butterflies and dragonflies dancing on the wing from Petunia to Buddleia to Lantana.  They look as though they are unaware that Autumn is about to pounce.
     Kids are back to school.  Leaves are crisp and falling.  Many new and some old familiar varieties of apples are beginning to appear at the market.  An early crop of pumpkins and colorful, twisty, warted gourds are making their debut as well.  Thoughts of weeding garden beds and planting perennials have turned to choosing Autumn bulbs and raking leaves.
     The rainy season has arrived, yet sometimes its hard to tell if those storm clouds are ahead of a Summer tropical system or a Fall cold front.  Just stick your head out the door or your nose out the nearest window to become your own meteorologist.  You'll probably do as well as they do!  Raincoat?, thongs?, sweater?, boots?  Open the windows - close the windows... air conditioning, ...not!  Its warm then cool, its humid then dry, its windy then still.  Give it a minute... it'll change!  On second thought, better listen to the professionals!
     Cuckoos have not yet arrived to dine on Tent Caterpillars and immature Cardinals are patchwork quilts of brown, red and olive.  Camellia buds are receiving their innate messages to get ready for the big show.  Some summer shrubs are still sleepily shooting small but persistent blooms.  Few vegetable garden plants remain, giving their gifts of love.  No one told them to stop!  So, the Basil continues on, and on and shares a bed with a now shriveled vine of plump beige-y Butternut squash.
     Yes, there's a whisper of Fall and a thunder bolt of Summer.  Then a whiff of crushed Autumn leaves and a beautiful flutter of Eastern Black Swallowtail wings.  The Catbirds and possibly the Hummingbirds have left and its time for the Northern Robins to start travelling through on their way back up North.
     Confused?  I think not.  Perhaps oblivious.  Most people do not even notice the changing of seasons.  It is definitely more of a blending than a change.  My advise... enjoy the dichotomy.  Savor the gifts of both.  In fact, savor every minute, every delicious second of the time you spend out in Nature.