Poetry

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Autumn Breezes

Intoxicating breezes –
Smoke-scented,
    balmy breezes
Wafting scattered clouds
And gently tugging at
    the leaves.

Frolicking –
Lazily moping –
   frolicking again
Shuffling colored leaves at will,
Mingling red with
    yellow, brown.

Fanning bonfires,
Teasing, brightening flames,
Working with the
   harvest moon
To warm the hearts of men and maids.

– Vera Hageman

The Road to Autumn

I walk beneath a canopy
Of dying leaves
Still clinging to the trees
Down a path of golden memories,
I follow into autumn where it leads.

– Elaine George

Thankful for the Move

Leaves flooded the yard this year,
And the box
   elder bugs
Moved into the attic.
Both quiet rustling,
Both voices of that firmness
And truth of the
   pure earth,
Both of which I never would have known
If I had stayed in
   the city.

– Lauren Passot

The Windmill

When I was young and lived in the country
Our windmill was a sight to see.

Each day I watched for a sign from the sky
As the thirsty cattle stood patiently by.

Then a wisp of air softly stirred the leaves
And I could see a motion through the trees.

I anxiously waited, the blades started to whir,
The cattle knew, they began to stir

Knowing there would be ample water to drink
As the tank was filling to the brink.

They quenched their thirst and went on their way,
Only to come back later that day.

But now the windmill lies in pieces,
And the timely stream of water ceases.

How things have changed from long ago;
Now we push a button for the water to flow.

To abandon the windmill doesn’t seem fair,
But the memory of it will always be there.

– Rufina Kaltenberger