Home » Poems » Brian Sambourne » Raked Leaves

Raked Leaves

autumn fills sparse spaces we occupy,
               seasonal change that closes in like shutters
briskly paced days of chilling charm
leaves dropping like wooing words of fidelity 
leaves that flatten the ground in patterns
             displacement
             in re-configuring trees

purposeful moves to rake stained prints of color into piles
rhythmic strokes that quicken in musty air
tedious chore to some
                          to me, contemplation
                          buoyant day dreams

my raked pile of impressions 
leaves tumbling over the ground like memories
                                                          of lost days
             some marked by brown edges with black blotches
             some colored vibrant, in reds and yellows
                                       like victory

I drop backwards into a stacked pile
autumn's luminous shred
ragged cohorts
withering in traces of unease
                      that touches me like absence 

I rise up
          gaze at the approaching clutch
          when clouds weigh the shambling sky in gray
          when cyclic tales take green to red-flamed lineage
          capricious leaves 
                              fall
          in the irrefutable tow of change




Poem composed: September 13/2022

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Marikate Kingston

Date: 12/7/2023 7:36:00 PM

I love the fall, the leaves and all. I can read that you do as well. I think your 3rd stanza is my favorite, although it is hard for me to decide. To me such a pondering poem. I liked how you used the season to describe different aspects/parts/memories of our lives in one way or another.

Brian Sambourne
Date: 12/7/2023 7:59:00 PM

Thanks very much for your stop by and affirmative message. You are quite right, Marikate, that the fall, as a season of fallen leaves, invites reflection on time passing. Be well. Brian

Susan Ashley

Date: 11/11/2022 8:47:00 AM

Dear Brian, it is such a pleasure to return to this beautifully composed masterwork. I've enjoyed reading this poem more than several times and each time I wish I could fav it again and again! I am ever amazed by your lustrous artistry and your gift for the grand finale. Congratulations for your excellent win in Mark's contest. It's so wonderful to share the podium with you! Warmest wishes, my inspiring friend.. ~Susan

Brian Sambourne
Date: 11/11/2022 11:17:00 AM

Dear Susan, Your words are music on this November day of rain. Thank you immensely for your thoughtful support. Hopefully, I can live up to your kind estimation. Be well. Sincerely Brian

Gary Radice

Date: 11/3/2022 1:14:00 PM

Hi Brian. Back to congratulate you on your well deserved win in the most recent stage of Mark's marathon. Autumn, changes and good & bad memories. What's not to like? Cheers - Gary

Brian Sambourne
Date: 11/3/2022 2:30:00 PM

Greetings Gary. My appreciation for your congratulatory note. It was reassuring to have the poem receive a placement after an earlier NA stamp. One never knows how one's work is measured. Be well. Cheers, Brian

Mark Toney

Date: 11/2/2022 1:35:00 PM

Brian, just as I commented on your "Autumn" poem that placed in Mile 14, you have a unique way of describing my favorite season. "Raked Leaves" resonates with me because of the figurative meaning behind the metaphor as expressed in your poem. A Fav poem for me. Congratulations on your win on Mile 18 of my 2022 Poetry Marathon Contest. Keep your running shoes on because Mile 19 has already started.

Brian Sambourne
Date: 11/2/2022 3:28:00 PM

Thank you, Mark, for your vote of support on my entry (rejected in other contests). I do strive to add a secondary level of meaning behind the narrative, but I am not always successful. My appreciation for the recognition. Sincerely, Brian

Thomas Wells

Date: 10/30/2022 11:21:00 PM

This poem is a wonderful celebration of autumn and the changing seasons. There are so many images that deliver your message; change is inevitable and wonderful. Your description of raking leaves comes across as a ritual you welcome. Your leaves seem to record a memory or tell a story. In short, this is a superbly written poem.

Brian Sambourne
Date: 10/31/2022 7:49:00 AM

Thanks very much, Thomas. I appreciate your thoughtful, supportive appraisal of my submission. Autumn can (indeed) give one's pen a push. Hope that you are well. Cheers, Brian

Linda Alice Fowler

Date: 10/20/2022 3:09:00 PM

Wow - remarkable poetry. Autumn's brief cameo remembered by her "...irrefutable tow of change"

Brian Sambourne
Date: 10/20/2022 10:02:00 PM

Most kind of you to read more than one of my postings + to leave such supportive comments. Health + happiness to you dear lady. Brian

Gary Radice

Date: 10/3/2022 4:28:00 PM

This is a great poem Brian. It captures the essence of Autumn; the transition, change and colour. I particularly like the attention to detail when describing / contemplating the colour of the leaves during a task many might often view as a chore. Cheers - Gary

Brian Sambourne
Date: 10/3/2022 6:43:00 PM

Greetings Gary, Very thoughtful of you to comment so affirmatively. Writing about autumn is certainly a challenge. My metaphorical leap of lost days to the raking of coloured or blotched leaves isn't especially original. However, I did my best to give it a spin. As always your encouraging, uplifting remarks are most appreciated. Stay well. Sincerest regards, Brian

Susan Ashley

Date: 10/2/2022 7:21:00 AM

Dear Brian, your poetry falls upon the page like “wooing words” enticing my heart and seducing my imagination leaving me breathless with your brilliant artistry. I adore the metaphorical and musing beauty of this gem, as brilliant as the blazing leaves beneath the “purposeful” strokes of your rake, and as creative as a “raked pile of impressions” engraved beneath the genius strokes of your pen. I love the rich potent splendor of your expression! A fav! Warmest wishes, my friend.. ~Susan

Brian Sambourne
Date: 10/2/2022 11:22:00 AM

Hello Susan, Thank you greatly for your supportive words. Autumn inspires us (as you've mentioned) + becomes an all too brief season after the heated blanket of summer. Be well. With much appreciation for your encouraging appraisal. On poetrysoup.com, you're a bright gem indeed. Brian

Susan Woodrow

Date: 9/20/2022 9:25:00 PM

This was lovely with your usual unusually unique wording and style:)

Brian Sambourne
Date: 9/21/2022 7:01:00 AM

My appreciation for your stop by + supportive comment. I hope that you are well. Sincerely, Brian

Sara Kendrick

Date: 9/15/2022 5:41:00 AM

Reads like a good contender to me for the contest. Way to go. Thank you for sharing and for dropping by my page. I could remember those days when I would rake leaves while children then grandchildren played. Sara

Brian Sambourne
Date: 9/15/2022 6:11:00 AM

Thank you, Sara for your read + comment on my poem. I hope that all is well with you. Cheers, Brian

Arlo Parker

Date: 9/14/2022 9:55:00 AM

A delight! Charming Autumn snapshot so well conveyed. Thanks, Brian :-)

Brian Sambourne
Date: 9/14/2022 12:29:00 PM

Thank you, Arlo, for your thoughtful appraisal of my posting. Sincerest regards, Brian

John Watt

Date: 9/13/2022 9:42:00 PM

Brian, I love how you use the chore of raking the fallen leaves as both an adoration of autumn, and as a springboard for delving into the passage of time and the inevitable changes in life. The last 3 lines are brilliant, in my opinion. Greatly enjoyed, thanks for sharing ~ John

Brian Sambourne
Date: 9/14/2022 6:18:00 AM

Hello John, Thank you for your comments + insightful views. Yes, I sought to take a fall chore + give it a link to natural beauty within the vicissitudes of days. Most appreciative of your assessment. Sincerely, Brian