Autumn

Autumn sweeps in, softly at first

The quiet promise of rain-kissed air

A cool breeze on your skin

Leaves like shocks of flame darting through the trees

Birch and oak hesitate to shed their coats

And bare their greying branches to the sky

This golden sunset of Summer

Ushers in chaos yet again

Back to school; hectic and crowded
Storm clouds move in, then clear, then roll back again
Colors swirl against an aging sky
 

Relatives appear for the holidays

Familiar faces turn your world upside down

Then vanish

Packing up suitcases, a caravan of cars leaving

Headlights glare and tires grind tracks across my heart…

Even the birds are moving on

The time for summer lovers is now over

The bookstores and ice cream shops will be empty

Without you by my side

I will sit in our favorite park

Remembering the laughs we shared over a swing-set daydream

It’s harder to swing with no one to push you

I listen as the geese fly high

Ca-ha-halling to each other

Announcing the end of one season

And the beginning of another.