Fall creeps in slowly —
like death,
unwanted —
taking color and warmth.
Rudbeckia recedes,
a solitary bloom remains.
Brave nasturtiums sing red arias,
even as their leaves crisp and wane.
Sumac and blueberry
forewarn the unwary.
The slightest breeze
causes parched leaves
to chatter and scatter
as they fall.
Daylight ever dwindling —
another hour gone.
My only orison is not ever to succumb —
yield only to the quiet peace of snowfall.
Hopefully, wise enough to know
how to abide in the present,
utterly grateful
to endure —
any time given.
(For our neighbor, Rick Porter, who died Nov. 5.)
Patricia Ferrara Fuchs, Harpswell
