Poet’s Corner

Standing Watch

The once bright canvas is fading fast.

Soon
only the brown
curled up leaves
will remain
as they await a gusty wind
or the weight of the first snow
to plummet them to ground
where they will be crumbled
into little pieces
to be reclaimed by the earth.

The starkly naked trunks and branches
stretch upward
with greater determination
than in the spring
when they are fully dressed
and joyfully bask in the bright sunshine.

Now
our only hope for color
lies in the littered ground
that occasionally offers a glimpse
of leaves brushed with streaks of amber
or preferably a bright crimson.

The slabs of exposed stones are stark and cold
but not all hope is gone
the squirrels can still gather
the last of the fallen acorns
and the bees feast
on the nectar
of the fading flowers.

Winter will soon arrive
and most of New England
will go into a long
deep sleep
with only the evergreens
remaining awake
as they stand watch until spring.

~ Cristina Jill Mosqueda ~

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *