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Moods of Autumn
Mixed in with the scent of flowers nearly bloomed out
and apples half-eaten by deer
is a hint of decay.
Mother Nature’s version of pumpkin spice, it signals what’s to come.
Autumn prepares herself in the shadows as Summer,
in her old age,
loses the strength to warm them.
Summer prepares to take her final bow.
The wind nips at leaves on the trees, still green
but tinged with yellow, orange or red.
The nocturnal orchestra loses volume as members begin to retire,
having fulfilled their Summer contracts.
I wonder whether to leave the windows open at night.
I like to listen as I fall asleep, but
I risk being awoken in the middle of the night
by an early Autumn chill crawling under my Summer sheets.
As Autumn matures, she takes center stage.
The world is quieter and colder,
except for the rustle of colorful leaves
dancing across the green grass.
The strength of the sun is waning.
Sweaters and scarves know it’s their time to shine.
Now is a time to slow down and sit with one’s own thoughts,
wrapped in a thick blanket reluctantly brought out of storage.
Autumn wavers, clinging to the warmth of Summer
while understanding the inevitability of change.
We must release what is past in order to make room
for what’s to come.
