as autumn’s chill descends
and leaves paint the floor of Earth
as daylight withers into quickened sunsets
as frost lays its bones over the land
i sit in the deep of night
the shadows that darkened my day
have slithered into my memories
locked there for the foreseeable eternity
my breath is slow and even, a sign sleep is near
the candlelight spins my imagination
i curl up into a poem
outside, the wind leaves no doubt
the last of the leaves will fall
a promise of autumn snow begins to flutter in my mind
calling on my muse, we begin to weave a dream
a dream of naked trees — the cloudy sky so low
i could almost grab a slice of heaven
put on my wings and fly
as the vision unfolds, so do the recollections
of many a dream long past
i can tell the tale a thousand times
but it always comes out with a seasonal twist
spring, summer, winter
i have a poem for all but fall
now, at the midnight hour
i recite my soliloquy; then put pen to page
the ink stains on my hands, proof that I was here
the verse, simply a testament
to this assemblage of words
comes the midnight hour
and with it, a shot of rye
i do not deny the passage of days
i do not struggle with nature
as the world around me disrobes
so do i unveil my mindthere’s a storm brewing outside
i brace myself against thoughts of doom
with just one life to live
i have to say i’ve made mistakes
mistakes deep as oceans
love mistakes, money mistakes
decisions, decisions, decisions
i’ve poured my soul into making amends
and i have many amends yet to make
as the landscape glistens
in the pulse of dawn’s first rays
the dream fades
and in its place i find a poem
a lasting recollection
of this season passing by.
