Autumn

As the weather turns cooler

I don my finest outfit

Bright colors, gleaming

Red, gold, purple, yellow

All the psychedelic colors of the rainbow

Together in a harmonious outfit

Burnished finish beauteous

I sway as the whim takes me

Lightly, errant breezes caress me

I dance in the wind

Loose, graceful, unashamed

Unmindful of any who stop to watch

Displaying myself with wanton abandon

Delighting in the attention

Reaching out to my compatriots

I gently rub against them

Our mingled sighs one of contentment

Bird song accompanies our ballet

As we flit across this our wooden stage

I spend my days this way

Carefree, colorful, living in the moment

Until the moment ends

Until my stem breaks

And I drift to the ground

There to await my shroud of winter snow