Fallen leaves and autumn trees

A chilly November dawn

When dreams won't take flight and wintry whispers wake

A man sits alone

 

While the memories of autumn pastime swirl around him

Tales of splendor and grandeur by the fireside

Steaming cups of cider and cocoa

Hugs from relatives long gone

Oh how the time has passed

 

He longs to see those now confined to picture frames

Smiling faces now distant memories of warm welcomes and rushed hellos

Frozen hands and nipped noses commonplace in the cabin that shows no evidence of life except for the fire that is always burning

 

Curtains drawn welcome the frost of daybreak

This man of many moons, with his weathered hands,

Looks on with weary eyes at the forest before him

A sea of oak and maple

Their leaves nearing the end of their seasonal life cycles,

deciduous beauties preparing for winter rest,

Stand strong and tall

 

He ponders the life behind him

All that he’s loved

And lost

And the moments in between

 

Like his wife

 

How the wind blew when she chuckled

 

And how the trees shook when she cried

 

The way she lit up when autumn was present-

 

The chilly air got just a bit warmer when she smiled

 

The way she withered away when the rest took her

 

He remembers the way she suffered

 

He ponders the rest that will soon take him

 

Will he float or fly?