Fall

Warm ripe light slants,
mellowing the earth,
ordaining gardens
laying on lawns.
The sun is low
elongating shadows,
anointing clouds in plummy tones.
Lush leaves
cushion every footfall.
A new moon hangs
in a sky of cornflower.

But the clouds come overtaking
sky and land. A spate
of precipitation wets
the ground and vegetation.
A tramp through the woods yields
a spicy scent so rare
from the combination
of dying vegetation. Too soon
the firmament is dark
and the air
cold.