Autumn

Schools ring out with the sighs of freedom lost, empty hearts break as a summer love moves along. Bright wildflowers fade under the burden of frost, birds fill the air with the tunes of migrating songs. Night grows longer as it steals away the hours, of warmth and sunlight from another struggling day. The sun becomes weaker as darkness devours, and frozen tears cover a world that’s old and gray. Pastures now grieve from the silence of missing hooves, as stock was sacrificed for winter’s survival. Anticipated food fills empty mason jars, with gardens plucked clean before first snow’s arrival. Out past the trees roofed in kaleidoscope colors, harvested fields are transformed to carpets of gold. Children are tucked in under heavy warm covers, because stars come early when a north wind blows cold.