Sunshine beats down on me
Until that precious moment when
Your gentle breezes cool my body.
Summer.
Rain, lightening, thunder, humidity
Not one endless stream of happy weather
Wind kicks up white caps on the lake.
Summer.
Hiking, laughing, sleeping, playing
Mini-golf, ice cream, sweet corn
Outdoor concerts.
Summer.
And yet now, fall begins to creep in
Cooler evenings, brisk mornings, leaves changing
We bid you a fond farewell and adieu.
Dear summer.
Glorious colors all around
I am entranced as I move through the forest
Small crab-apples crunch under foot
Leaves of orange, yellow, and red abound.
*
A breath, a second, a moment
And I am face down
Seemingly tripping over nothing
I lay sprawled on the soft mud and moss.
*
It could have been a rock or a root
That rose up from the earth
To meet my face
Instead my fall is broken softly.
*
I continue on
More cautious, still observing
As some leaves come sailing down
Gloriously dressed for their final descent.
*
They captured the sunlight
God’s beauty blazing through them
And now they shall soon rest
After the wind ceases to blow them here and there.
*
I too am like these leaves
Maybe now is the fall of my life
A time to blaze with God’s glory
And someday make the gentle descent.
I am moving, breathing and moving
Cool cloudy Autumn morning
And then a song comes on
Slowing me down
Love and kisses, sweet haunting melody
And I watch as a gust of wind
Swirls the leaves from the trees
In all of their golden, red, and orange hews
They fly about
Dancing, flitting, sailing down
And I get it, right here and now
This is death, these leaves are already gone
And yet they grace me with such beauty
They will fold back into the earth, returning to whence they came
If they had not fallen, and swirled around me
Gliding through the crisp Fall morning air
There would be no room for the new green Spring buds
Some 8 months from now
For that moment, I rejoiced in their beauty
Their dazzling light and color show
I was there and I was here and now, and with it all at once
Death and life merging in the beautiful dance
Of the Swirling Down Leaves.
New England Mama 