As imperceptibly as grief
The summer lapsed away,—
Too imperceptible at last
To feel like perfidy.
A quietness distilled,
As twilight long begun,
Or Nature spending with herself
Sequestered afternoon.
The dusk drew earlier in,
The morning foreign shone,—
A courteous yet harrowing grace
As guest that would be gone.
And thus without a wing
Or service of a keel
Our summer made her light escape
Into the Beautiful.
I know the calendar gives us a date for the beginning of autumn but it never seems so specific to me. Summer days, autumn days, back to summer heat, then autumn's cool, and finally more autumn than summer and the leaves change colors. Autumn is my favorite season but I also love the transition from summer to autumn.
--Nancy.
Beautiful poem and very true, well observed nature notes. I do recall as a very small child in Ohio how suddenly [it seemed] the maple tree in the front yard would be brilliantly red and glowing as I waited for the nursery school mini bus---and we'd stand over the heating registers to keep warm getting dressed. Today is summery here, all is green. I am waiting for the ugly locust tree to be golden as you told me it will be. Hahaha.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem like the trees change colors overnight sometimes, LIzzy, even now. My sister used to claim the warmest heating vent in the house, the one in the kitchen. I tried to claim it a time or two but being the youngest, I never got it.
DeleteSo glad you still have green. It may be that your ugly honey locust's leaves won't turn yellow since it's a different species from the ones we have. I need to get a photo of our trees and the leaves on the ground. Maybe tomorrow.
Such a beautiful poem and thank you so much for sharing it, Nancy. I too love this slide from one season into the next. I am not sad to see summer end.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Jocelyn. I'm not a summer-lover so am usually happy when we get to fall weather, but this past summer hasn't been too hot. Still, autumn is my favorite season!
DeleteLovely poem and seasonal musings!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeanne. It is a great poem, isn't it? I enjoy Emily Dickinson's poetry.
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