Month of my Birthday
Month of the leaves
Childhood memories—
Gathering hickory nuts and chestnuts—
the latter burnished brown—
the color of my hair
Walking along the sidewalk
Making a hopscotch game
Drawn with a piece of coal
Walking to church
The bells ringing—
Hurrying, don’t want to be late
Wearing my Sunday hat and white gloves
Friends and family of my childhood gone now
Soon it will be my turn
Hoping I’m remembered as someone
who saw the Beauty of this world, and cared about others
—Bernadette R. Gentry