It is frost that sets the
fires of autumn,
turning leaves to
yellow, red, and orange flames.
The wind carries their burnt colors
as farewell notes across the grass.
Grand oaks peer into blue sky
watching geese wing their way
to warmer weather while
they tuck their limbs
and wait for sleep.
Fall always sparks childhood memories. Our little home in
the country was surrounded by trees,
and in autumn the woods turned brilliant colors. I would
spend hours outdoors taking in
the sights and sounds. When the leaves finally let go of
their hold on branches, I imagined it
as crumpling raindrops.
©Susie Clevenger 2012
Real Toads ~ Transforming Fridays
20 comments:
Lovely Susie. The bright autumn leaves are so special and we do not really have them here in S California, except in the mountains. But really nothing like in the northern places.
Susie, I really like the paradox of frost setting fires and the idea of the leaves as farewell notes. It works well to set the atmosphere. What a beautiful picture it captures the color and light and works so well with your words. The poem seems to lead us like falling leaves to the forest floor of your prose. Glad you managed to join us!
The wind carries their burnt colors
as farewell notes across the grass
Very well described, Susie! One can imagine a movement slowly from one season to the other right in front of our eyes! Nicely!
Hank
I love the farewell notes, and the trees tucking in their limbs for the winter months. Just beautiful, Susie.
Me too: "farewell notes" was sweet.
And your prose at the end added a personal note which filled out the poem -- enriched it.
this makes me just sigh and breathe really deep...so much beauty in autumn..wonderful pic as well
it definitely springs memories in my mind as well...the farewell notes works really well as literal notes from the trees but is as well evocative of the season too...as that is where thoughts often linger....
i love all the colors of fall though....
Just saw my fist V formation of the year of Canada Geese as they begin their long flight south.
Your imagery is so alive in this. Doesn't autumn have its own distinctive smell too? Even though it's dying, the earth/dirt/mud smells so alive.
Beautiful write Susie.
What a beautiful painting of autumn...I love that last line,crumbling raindrops ~
Susie!! This is beautiful! I love the opening idea....that this frost fuels the fire and color and I too, am enamored by the fallen leaves as farewell notes....
Lovely writing...thank you for taking on Real Toads Transforming Friday!!
You have created a wonderful mood here... love the repitition of "w" throughout... very warming in all aspects, Susie.
This is really lovely. I wish that I had written that first stanza!
Beautiful poem....and memories.....
Beautifully done Susie! Fall is my fav time of year and I agree, it does bring to mind childhood memories.
Happy Weekend, G
Beautiful! I too like the juxtaposition of frost and fire, and you've got some really strong alliteration with with all those W's
'...watching geese wing their way to warmer weather while... '
Oh, this is so lovely... it brought memories of my childhood autumns as well... love, love, love that last line.
Childhood memories of gathering leaves, pressing them, art projects at school are still so vivid .... I can conjure up sounds and smells of Fall leaves as I walked on them, raked them into huge piles only to jump in, laughing.
"The wind carries their burnt colors
as farewell notes across the grass."
Ominous! And then I see that after the living trees watch the performance of autumn, "they tuck their limbs and wait for sleep." And I sigh with joy and relief. And your commentary actually reads as another verse in this powerfully huge (disguised as tiny) poem.
A lovely piece, Susie, that carries me to a scene I rarely enjoy in person. As a desert dweller, I see very few reds, oranges, golds in our autumn landscape.
Beautiful, but the ending was wondering! Tucking their limbs in, so captured how we all feel :d
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