You smell like new earth.
I feel your excitement beneath
every syllable,
Boiling out from your lips,
As you ask the question,
The question that will lead us,
Like half ripened leaves pulled down by late-August winds
To the fall,
Or to the rise
Of unexplored heights to eclipse the
coming solstice.

The summer feels so far away,
And winter's grip draws ever near.
The rain that shied from the heat of
the sun
Strides confidently back across the sky.
I see you in every evergreen –
You defy the autumn breeze
Who brushes the more flamboyant
leaves away.
You stand tall, bright; strong,
Prepared to face the coming tempest.