Release

And just like that!

the colors leached away

and the Gray settled in

and that was

in no wise

a bad thing

insofar as it goes

There is a singular openness to a

Wild Gray Woods

and a clarity of

mind and thought

and a breath of peace

that is deeper and somehow

more sincere

than all the glorious color and bright joy

found there in Spring and Summer

and when a bright remnant of

Autumn is stumbled upon

a lingering red star from a Sweet Gum

or a Maple leaf, still soft and yellow

somehow

these can be an appreciated reminder

of earlier days and that is

in no wise

a bad thing

insofar as it goes

but those were passing times

those bright Summer days

as these shortened Autumn days are now

and shorter still Winter days to come

and we have a blessed permission

to appreciate each for their own

grace and glory

and so, we listen to the rich and somber

wind through leafless trees

and breathe deep

and release and release and release

Borrowed for Days Such as This

Even on days

when clouds cast shadows everywhere

every plant

every leaf

every flower

seems to glow

with hints of sunshine

borrowed for days such as this

Glory Enough

While I appreciate the great explosion
of colorful flowers
bursting forth in Spring and Summer

and I adore Autumn's gorgeous majesty
the copper, ruby and gold...

but you must forgive me

and please, please give me
a foggy mild Winter's day and
the 10,000 somber shades
of brown and of gray

the leathered old stories
in the veins of old leaves
the whipping, empty branches
at the tops of old trees

Oh that will be glory enough

for me

In the Wettish Woods

I saw a Spirit

walking in the wettish woods

almost as if

he were real

he had a corporeal inconsistency

like an evening fog and

I feel his presence sometimes,

still.

 

Down

Down near the Earth

where the Living all start

and the Dying wait their turn

patiently

like autumn flowers

It was down near the earth

that I awoke

covered in leaves and forest debris

chilled in the early autumn dew

and I said to myself

I said

"Not again..."

 

From the Top of the Stairs

From the top of the stairs

at the top of the hill

it was easy to decide to go down

though the sun was setting

and the mountain was steep

and the night was falling all 'round

Living With It

If I were an oak leaf
which, once, sat atop a tower unbending
and I found myself resting
on a soft bed of moss
in a darkening forest...

I could live with that