Song for Autumn
In the deep fall
don’t you imagine the leaves think how
comfortable it will be to touch
the earth instead of the
nothingness of air and the endless
freshets of wind? And don’t you think
the trees themselves, especially those with mossy,
warm caves, begin to think
of the birds that will come—six, a dozen—to sleep
inside their bodies? And don’t you hear
the goldenrod whispering goodbye,
the everlasting being crowned with the first
tuffets of snow? The pond
vanishes, and the white field over which
the fox runs so quickly brings out
its blue shadows. And the wind pumps its
bellows. And at evening especially,
the piled firewood shifts a little,
longing to be on its way.—by Mary Oliver
Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I love watching the colors change, often from red and orange at the top of the trees as the sap recedes into the roots to keep the tree strong and alive through the winter months. For some autumn is a sad time focusing on the death of trees and flowers and the end of gardening time. This period in our lives as we move into the autumn years can be either that same time of sadness or a peaceful transition as we look at the gifts of change.
Mary Oliver’s poem Song of Autumn showed me the joy a falling leaf may feel!
If only we look at life with new eyes and see all the beauty in change, can we embrace this beautiful season. As the leaves change from all green to the multiple colors of fall, we can now see the veins carrying the sap-blood to each cell, much like our own circulation. Look up and see the shape of the strong limbs that helped our trees withstand the harsh derecho. Bless those who remain to give us shade and shelter. And there, tucked into a bush or the fork in a tree, are the nests hidden from us during the spring and summer. Look forward to watching those spaces as spring birds return to rebuild their homes, just as we rebuild our springtime lives after the silence of winter. Take this time of seasonal change to look at life’s changing seasons as a spiritual awakening, a time to be aware of each moment of our lives, a time for wonderment and peace.
—Janith Shoning-Griffith
image by Angie Pierce-Jennings