On Monday I was walking
down a street like yours
I was reminded of begonia
flowers
Folks sit on porches and
pass the hours
Breezes blow fallen
leaves about my feet
Yellow on one side, on
one side red
Lifted up and whirled
Wet leaves leave rust
stains on the walk
Dry leaves crush brittle
under foot and boot
Bikes whir by
An occasional wispy cloud
scutters across the autumn sky
Gusts bend branches, and
blossoms and leaves cascade to the ground
Chimes lightly chime
Some old pumpkins slowly
split and slump, collapse and crumble
Old man Marshall in
overalls lumbers up and down a paint-spattered ladder
Hanging strings of small
white lights
A small dog wobbles along
on a discrete errand known to him only
Puddles rush out from
under car tires and back
Rakes scrape graying
leaves across lawns into heaps
Pink and orange the sky
glows
And every branch and
trunk is evenly lit, without anywhere a shadow
Dusk comes early and cold
descends fast
as the sun behind grassy
hills drops low
Crisp dark night sky
stars shine
Smoke snakes above mossy
roof tops
Inside, families gather
cozy at flickering fires
Drinking cocoa, tea and
nog.
Soon carolers will arrive
Wandering from home to
home to home
Before long we will crawl
under covers and cuddle beneath comforters
Sleep in a tangle of
sheets
Easy dreams bring deep
release
by DanShaw.com
