Clouds frill fine tentacles; climb like jellyfish
Up the autumn sky; cormorant’s black silhouette
Poised to plunge stands on protruding rocks
Lake bass unconcerned tips and flashes
Bangs out giant ripples; leaves on slow roll-out—
Dash of red, rind of orange, but mainly stubborn
green and dry brown, while cricket drills
A non-stop rush to find his mate
Damp grass and cattails filter
Walkers crunch on gravel paths
Short-sleeved tees enough today
Horizon sky slings gray; a silky breeze stirs
First blue sky smiles in weeks suck off election stress
Cheeks curl cool; the season when dark drops fast.

Speak to me of autumn
Says she to me
But what is autumn without you?
You are autumn to me.

You are the leaves bright red and golden
that lace my life together.
You are flannel shirts
And drives deep into New England country where we
Discover together
Covered bridges and
Mountain peaks
apples and
Phantom Farm Pie.
You are cozy nights watching Dracula
Over and again
Nestling before candles in twilight.

You are the arms that wrap me tight at night as
Summer churns into Fall
and I tumble into dreams
kept safe by your touch.

You are the autumn sky
Close
and beautiful

Yes, of course, you left at the end of autumn
As you arrived at the beginning
You are a Libra
Balancing life as only you would.

You passed on from this cacophony of ills
midst a heavy blanket of orange and golden leaves
you watched fall outside of our window.
Leaves would not fall without you now
but your spirit inspires them to continue their journey
otherwise
Autumn would come to a stop,
Of this I am sure
It would all come to a jarring stop
For there would be no sense whatsoever

Without you
in this world.

Your last journey up our stairs
Wheelchair carried by two laboring medics
Lifts you through the leaves
The thick bright red leaves fall around you
Your face weakly radiant
Happy to be home where you have come back to die
You look up and me and smile
I peek at you
barely,
Unable to assemble what has led us to this place.

Never shall I release you
As I walk among the leaves
I see you in them everywhere
My Autumn
My Love of Autumn
My Love.