And that first
Sweet morning sound
Arrived by way
Of bird songs
As the East
Began to glow
Sapphire blue and
Cobalt and pink
Like the sky
Was velvet strewn
With precious diamonds
Someone should paint
This I think
So I have
With these words
See with me
And during a
Walk through a
Thorny thicket i
Spied a bush
Dangling luscious blackberries
Plump to the
Touch ripe and
Sweet I sat
Upon a stump
And dined one
After the other
So many times
In fact that
I finally knew
That it was
You that I
Dared the forest
Only to find
Fall signals the
End of summer
Exploding in color
Leaves sun succulent
Finally release summers
Sunny long days
I have learned
That the end
Of things is
Never the end
But new beginnings
Don’t fear the
Fall but celebrate
Both warm memories
Of languid lazy
Days and what
We might be
Next time around
At my age
You learn your
Place in history
You realize that
It’s not forever
It’s for now
When I look
Into your eyes
I see both
Sadness and gleeful
Curiosity like a Cotswold
Pond freshly frosted
By a thin
Layer of ice
Yet teeming with
Life down below
Do I dare
Step upon you
Cautious about fracture
Or simply allow
Warmth to thaw
Your eyes slowly
Back to life
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 