Too soon the summer has left us —
In the gardens, the flowers have produced their seeds.
The weather has changed and now we must wear jackets
or sweatshirts in the cool morning air.
I will miss the green leaves of the trees that offered their shade,
and the sound of the songbirds who woke me up at dawn.
I will buy seed to feed those birds that will stay throughout the winter —
like the cardinals, the blue jays, the chickadees, and many others.
I will find joy in the magnificent colors of the fall leaves,
the Beauty of the chrysanthemums, the crispness of the apples,
and the sight of orange pumpkins on front steps. I will plant
crocuses, daffodils, and tulip bulbs to give me hope.
I will look at the trees and know, as all poets know,
that the trees have set their buds for spring.
We know not what the winter will bring, or what the virus will do,
or if there will be a vaccine. But, we must have faith in the Creator
whose loving hands bring forth all the Beauty nature offers us.
It is in the changing scenes and the gifts of each new season
that we find the continuity of life.
—Bernadette R. Gentry