And so like
An unopened letter
I’ve decided to
Keep myself to
Myself like a
Telephone that went
Silent mid sentence
I kept saying
Hello to no
One finally hanging
Up the receiver
Now like a
Snowless Christmas in
Wisconsin I’m missing
That one thing
That made all
Of the other
Banal things possible
And now we
Are a diminishing
Drip drip drip
After months of
Monsoons after months
Of downpours after
Months of thunder
What remains is
But tiny splashes
In an overflowing
Cistern adding nothing
But more to
Lose maybe to
Water what’s next
And today starts
The firework display
Mountains and valleys
Erupting in orange
Bronze and amber
The days saturated
With warmth and
The nights cool
With Autumnal chill
Soon the leaves
Will leap like
Paratroopers spinning and
Landing crunching with
Every step as
The forest floor
Prepares for winter
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 