I want a bright Autumn --
brisk & clear.
I want a colorful Fall,
not one in which cold gray
blanches all brilliant shades.
I want a windy Autumn:
full of movement that
swirls & lifts anything
that's light enough.
I want an Autumn that
draws people outside,
not one that pens them.
I don't mind a bite of cold
as long as I can see white
clouds float through blue skies.
bench beside trail:
vacant but for a gnawed
hickory nutshell.
step: "Crunch - Crack!" --
skulking deer startles itself,
looks out: who noticed?
the grain is ripe.
the days are short.
the farmer, weary.
fallen leaves, post-rain:
gauge the drizzle by
what crunch remains.
climbing grasshopper
clings to gently bouncing branch;
sure to fall
before the next crunchy leaf
succumbs to Autumn breezes.
legs in leaf litter,
garden lanterns catch light
that pierces bare woods.
through the Autumn,
one tree holds leaves longer,
then drops them faster.
one strange tree
curls like a question mark:
Autumnal forest.
Tiger Riding for Beginners 