Autumn Evening

Bathed by rays scattered through the green,

we’re submerged in silence - unnerving, it seems.

Not a sounds amiss, yet each one of them is magnified

Snap of branches, blow of the wind - everything seems loud.

The trees don't sleep - they stand still and wait,

eyeing every stranger, observing their gait.

Watchful, not letting us out of sight,

won’t treat any misstep in a manner light.

More than aware, our feet tread with care

Come clean, no tricks, and you might be spared.

The air stiffens when anger stirs the woods.

Take less than you think you should.

The air whispers - gentle rustling

as gold trickles down, softly floating.

Brushes the grass and rests on the ground in heaps.

Untouched - not the gold that drives human greed.

More fleeting and more precious than what we’ve locked in vaults

And maybe that’s just another of our many faults.

Aren’t all things oh so dearer if they last a while?

Sparks from bonfire and unrestrained smiles.

Giving lifetimes into the chase, too busy to look under my feet

where similar to autumn leaves, I have all I need.

Life is patient, gives me chances to notice and realize,

Change my ways while there's still some time.

In parks, leaves are treated just like litter,

but here, our eyes fill with childlike glitter

as we jump and run through, and they fly everywhere

Simple wonder, our laughter tinkles in the air.

The fun is rare - in daily rush, we seem to lose the joy,

Colors devoured by an endless void.

The sunset sky is dressed in every shade,

they meet and mingle, then fade.

Under the hills, a bright orange fire set the clouds alight

The ashes disperse, swallowed by the ink of night.

Above the ground a layer of mist, like a blanket to cover the land.

I feel alive. All that matters is already here if I reach out my hand.

I bow my head - to everything, to each moment - as I say my thanks.