Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Autumn is a Treasure Trove of Signs, Symbols, and Memories/ dVerse

AUTUMN IS A TREASURE TROVE OF SIGNS, SYMBOLS, AND MEMORIES

bitter smell of chrysanthemums            corsages given at ballgames     trimmed with tiny golden footballs

pots of colorful chrysanthemums         red, dark red, orange and yellow          my grandmother’s garden

the first indication of the change          of season                      is the cool breeze on an august morning

anticipation                                   soon the leaves begin to change             one day the temperature drops



and all the leaves fall to the ground      at once                                     as if by direction of a maestro

i can see him lift his arms                     and as he brings them down         the leaves let go

hurling themselves gracefully to the ground      the light is different...        sharper in a way

pinon smoke in the air               the sound of drums from the pueblo       a magical time of year



newly ripe apples                             nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves          pies in the oven

soon the snow will come                 transform the landscape                    we wait breathlessly…

and memories of you                      a fire in the fireplace                          quiet evenings at home

October 17, 2017



Note:  Kim is hosting this Tuesday’s Poetics and she has been thinking about autumn: the clocks will soon be going forward in some countries across the world and the nights will be drawing in earlier.  She has also been thinking about things we associate with this time of year and asked poets to choose "one" autumnal item, take a closer look at it in all its glory under a poetic microscope and write a poem about it.
I couldn't choose just "one" rather was thinking about how autumn is so full of signs, symbols and memories. 




                                                                                               

5 comments:

Kim M. Russell said...

I love the title, Annell! I currently have a thing for longer and cryptic titles. And I agree, autumn is a treasure trove. So pleased to see a reference to the 'bitter smell of chrysanthemums' and the pots of them in grandmother’s garden - my grandmother loved them. That's a great image of a maestro conducting the leaves! You've also whetted my appetite with the 'newly ripe apples, the nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves, and pies in the oven', which also reminds me of my grandmother. My Tuesday afternoon feels cosier after reading your poem. :)

Jane Dougherty said...

You make autumn sound delicious!

brudberg said...

I think there is such a strong sense of place in your poem, the sounds from the Pueblo, the way the cold come suddenly... still some signals of fall are universal.. lovely

Frank Hubeny said...

I remember seeing poplar trees drop their leaves in a single day. It amazed me when I first saw it.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

There is all of the gorgeousness of the seaon in your poem. I most love - and would so love to hear - the drums from the pueblo.

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