Once upon a time—
late autumn days
unfolded, slowly
into glorious 
September gold!

SKY
Sky blue
at an all-time high
blue, blue, 
and blue again.
So blue— I could even fly!

I live underneath
a sky dome
where sirius clouds
drift by
and earth touches sky.

EARTH
Harvest colors streak across the sky,
scratched between landscapes—
Old brown hardwoods
along country roadsides show bright-red-orange edges,
and hillsides are adorned in yellow-gold leaves with sunshine tops.

Orchards sit
on both sides of the country road—
where plentiful Arkansas Black and Red Winesap apples
are ready for the picking,
offering apple cider makings.

WATER
Summer droughts
stand in parched lands.
Roadside ponds show bare earth
and signs from last year's washed-out gullies
are everywhere.

Now, around the bend, 
over and across the cove,
after flooding rains
moving downriver,
Crystal Springs and Sugar Creek begin to flow again.

HUMANS
Framed by tree bridges,
campfires, and paddle boats—
Overnight campsites are dug in,
campers pitch jetty tents, and park trailers
filling every nook and cranny.

Fairy tales
fly out of storybooks
and grandpa's stories abound— cane-pole fishing,
and catching rainbow trout,
just right for iron skillet cooking.

SPIRIT
And I . . .
Watching every new sunrise,
and listening to the morning Blue Heron calls,
praying for peace, and some measured joy.
And then all with one step—

I’m walking out again,
along these Ozark woodland trails,
and stepping through overgrown shorelines.
I'm waiting—
to hear a call to stay!

And once more—
These late autumn days
unfold 
into glorious 
September Gold!

Fall Poetry