At a quarter till four the light is already golden –
promising the swift fall of darkness.
I had forgotten this was coming,
having been wooed by bouquets of amber, ruby & emerald –
After standing agape at glittering facets floating downward,
making way for azure sky.
The short-lived glory of Fall has begun to give way to gray
and brown
and dusk.
I can feel the weight gathering in my spirit,
a panic rising in my chest.
I close my eyes,
inviting the wavering light to kiss my face.
Stay a little longer…
But the sun retreats a little more each day,
causing the leaves to let go,
lulling nature to sleep beneath a blanket of snow.
I seek out light & warmth like a fragile shoot,
fearing that something inside me too, may shrivel
as the days grow short.
I can feel it in my bones.
Winter is coming.
I cope by telling myself there is beauty
in death & resurrection,
in the frozen upturned fields,
in the quiet, cold nights.
All the while, dreaming of eternal summer.
I spend hours by the fire,
staring into ember earthquakes
as the deep warmth of wine fills my belly.
Hibernating under drifts of white down,
I hold out through the dusk, through the night.
I will return with the light.
The Simple Palette 