fall came whispering...
twirling at the edges of my head; like some errant leaf
spinning around in the frost-tinged air
like the mist rising from the lake
as the frogs croak their swan songs of summer
and the trout burble thoughts up from the depths

a crow flies low overhead
perchance, knowing my thoughts...
of how we came to this place
how we settled in
nestled up
braced ourselves for the cold of winter
rejoiced in the spring
singing songs to the fox and deer that came to call
danced with the bear in the throws of summer
and smoked cigars by twilight
and inhaling this ripened earth as if it were the choicest of apples

and here it is again, this time of fall
this moment of wonder
of color and texture
of faded grass and the call of coyotes
under dark and starry skies.