Fall questions

If spring is born at the river’s edge and the burning summer in the dust of the highway, then where do we discover fall?

Is it in the mothball-scented chests where the blankets are kept? In the hedgerow that vibrates with migrating birds? Or do you find it, like me, in the darkening sea and the immense sky of an October afternoon. Or in the dunes, scattered among the quick sweep of goldenrod.

I find fall when my shadow reaches out over the waves to meet the moon. In days that shrink before I’m done with them. In this time of anticipation, relaxing and enjoying the change, and the wait.

Yes…I’m still pondering fall while all the neighbors are perfecting their Christmas decorations!

8 thoughts on “Fall questions”

  1. Fall is seeing your breath rise in the morning and rummaging through the closets, looking for the right jacket or coat to wear – not been seen for what seems like an eternity.

    And having the desire to break out the holiday decorations. Not until December 1.

    And looking forward to Laura’s reflections of the seasons.

  2. They just keep getting earlier and earlier. This year they had up Christmas decorations in the stores before September ended.

  3. I love the poetry of your writing.

    I’m definitely with you on the “days that shrink before I’m done with them.” That’s the frustrating part to me, though. Fall and winter days were so much longer in Texas, so I’m still not used to this dark-by-5 business.

  4. I love the imagery in this post!

    I find fall when the last of the tamarack needles have fallen, as the wind moans through an empty gray aspen woods under a gray sky.

  5. Hi Laura,
    Fall in rural southern Minnesota is brown grass and cornfields being picked, it’s early sunsets, and the smell of all those leaves on the ground as I walk through them to get to my deer stand, it’s the smell of fireplaces burning wood for the first time since last spring, and the sound of great horned owls beginning to hoot at each other for the upcoming mating season.

  6. John: Brown is nice!

    Mary: I never seem to find my winter coat until January! Everyone gives me a hard time, but I love the cold!

    Diva Kitty: I know, it’s too much.

    Delia: Yeah, it’s depressing to get out of work when it’s already dark.

    Rabbit’s Guy: Hi, and thanks for stopping by to comment. I’ve heard that about the P. Northwest – sorry!

    Deb: Oh! The tamaracks – any pics on your blog?

    I planted a larch this spring that looks altogether dead now, but when those leaves were gold it was so pretty.

    RuthieJ: Yes – it’s all those things!

Comments are closed.