An early (and, I hope, long) autumn.




Autumn Constellations

Trees growing lean, and leaning

A little more now toward the west

Each dusk, trying to hold on to

The light, the lights of their leaves

Flaring brighter and falling away,

Gathering into drifting windrows

Along the fence, mist at the edge

Of the pasture rising like smoke.

 

Still, something there is that makes

Us keep looking up, leaves replaced

By stars, how almost every one is

Part of the oldest stories we know,

The ones that say we are not alone

Nor lost in the deepening darkness

Between embers of leaf-light below,

The beautiful and terrible gods above.





Poetry by countryfog
Read 611 times
star mini Editors' choice
Written on 2012-09-19 at 15:43

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Esti D-G The PoetBay support member heart!
Am truly gobsmacked! An achingly beautiful poem.
2012-09-21


Editorial Team The PoetBay support member heart!
This text has been chosen to be featured on the front page of PoetBay. Thank you for posting it on our poetry web site.
2012-09-21


Lawrence Beck The PoetBay support member heart!
Beautifully written, Fog, very autumnal. I don't know if I've ever heard a better description of the change from summer to fall than "leaves replaced by stars." That's it!
2012-09-21



I like the enjambments and the repetitions in this piece (lean, and leaning; light, the lights; etc.). I wish I could learn to love autumn the way so many people I know do. I've always been and probably always will be a spring/summer guy--autumn just makes me think of the inevitable approach of winter. Still, you've provided a gorgeous ode to the season, exquisitely penned and lovely.

William
2012-09-19


Rob Graber
I like the affection here for god-stories; and that's a nice playing of the words in lines 1-2!
2012-09-19


shells
It feels and looks autumnal here where I am, your poem makes me feel a little more aware of my advancing years, as the seasons seem to come around a little quicker these days, but yet there is a timeless feel to all of this which is nice, much enjoyed.
2012-09-19