Autumnal
Faint as the smoke from a fir-branch fire
far off on the foggy shore,
Where salt-stung sea choruses a choir
as the tide rolls more and more
Of the oyster shells in its back-and-forth,
tumbling them to pearly dust,
I can hear the birds winging from the north
as each Fall they surely must,
And I watch as they darken the silver skies
in a wave of shivering black,
Sailing south toward warmth with their anguished cries,
to bid the sweet Summer back
Art-Colored Glasses 
Those leaves are just beautiful! Fabulous color and texture.
Thanks, Terri! I’m not sure what season it really was when I shot that (it’s an older photo from my files), but the color was pretty lovely regardless. 🙂
We have nominated you for the Reality Award
Lovely poem and images…
(But no one in Texas bids summer to return 😉 )
Ah! A wonderful expression of autumn. Loved it. I particularly liked the lines of “wave of shivering black” and “anguished cries”.
You’re a poet & I think you do know it. Your words, most reliably, give peaceful pause…
That’s one of my favorite aspects of both writing and reading, as I’m sure it is yours: the moment of stepping out of the stream of the present and removing oneself from, well, *oneself*, however briefly.
First let me say, Kathryn, that your autumn leaves painting took my breath away/ I just wanted to stroke it and get lost in it – you are a master with textures and light and colors! And another lovely lovely poem too. I think autumn is a favorite time for you …
Feel free to jump into my leaf-pile and roll around a bit. You reminded me immediately of that activity, a joy when I was a youngster living on aptly tree-lined Maple street. 😀 Yes, I do get happily nostalgic come autumn.
Pingback: The Best WordPress Poetry of 2012 « The Bard on the Hill
I’ve chosen this poem as one of the best on WordPress in 2012. Congratulations! The award can be seen here: http://thebardonthehill.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/the-best-wordpress-poetry-of-2012/
As always, you are too kind, dear Dennis. I thank you!
This is such a gorgeous poem! I’d have to say it’s my favorite. Congratulations!
How very sweet of you. Thank you, kind lady!