
I.
It seems this year
More than ever
The fall colors are
Astounding me
They call me
To stop
Breathe deeper
Slower
Let my burdens fall
I drove up a winding road
Under a canopy
Of fall foliage
It felt like a giant hug
An invitation to joy
My heart rejoiced

II.
Walking in the woods today
The maple trees ablaze
Letting go
Leaf by leaf
Fluttering and falling
To join the ever growing piles
Dampened by the rain
That my tears
My sorrows
My loss and grief
One by one
Would softly fall away
Like the maple leaves
To Become mulchy piles
To feed proceeding generations
© Julie Clark 2021
