Darkness comes early these days.
October has had her moment:
Fiery orange skirts,
Blood-red cheeks,
Eyes as blue
As a Colorado sky.
She flirted with the squirrels,
Showering them with golden leaves
As they scurried through the branches.
She pelted unwary passers-by
With rock-hard acorns
Flung from soaring oak trees.
She played peek-a-boo
With fish flashing in the stream,
Hiding them in a bright river
Of fallen leaves.
She nudged the wild creatures,
Whispering to them:
Get ready! Get ready!
Gather my bounty,
And tuck it away
For the hungry days ahead.
Leave if you can!
Fly off
To the lands
Of warmth and sunshine.
Find a snug place
To hide from Winter’s cold.
October tiptoes through her last few days,
Icy frost tipping her bright skirts with diamonds,
Brown grass clinging to her ankles,
Oak leaves crunching beneath her step.
She slips into the lengthening shadows
And is gone.
And the sun sinks,
A little earlier every day,
Behind the leaf-bare trees
And the naked hills.
And she hides her face
From the world.
Darkness comes early these days.
About the Creator
Laura DePace
Retired teacher, nature lover, aspiring writer driven by curiosity and “What if?” I want to share my view of the fascinating, complex world of nature. I also love creating strong characters and interesting worlds for them to live in.
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