Anticipation
the lights are strung
the pumpkins are out
the grave markers
put in their place
the bones are lain
within their graves
the ghosts hang
from the eaves
and here we are
ready to go
with lots of candy
to share
who’s to come
and ring the bell
and brave
a little scare
Intriguing
the nights are dark
with cloud cover
even when the rain
isn’t falling
and the hunter’s moon
peeks out
to promise
colder nights to come
as the veil thins
and whispers
slip between trees
to coax us deeper
into the night
Overworked
summer slips away
as the first nip
of cold arrives
and preparations
for winter
take over our lives
and all we
really want
is to savor
what’s left of the sun
before the bite
of winter’s cold
tells us autumn’s done
Turmoil
troubled skies
drag themselves
over the horizon
to scrape roughshod
over mountain peaks
concealing them
from view
as the clouds
dip low
to place wet kisses
upon hilltops
and thread
among the trees
Stalwart
in this place
the green persists
through the fall
and into the cold
of winter nights
and biting
frost filled days
as tender bits
fade away
’til spring
and hardier ones
stay
Curious
gray skies and
intermittent raindrops
greet a cooling day
as booted feet
tread over
pine needle carpets
and worn
saturated wood
as each step
sates a small trickle
of curiosity
that leads on
into forever
