One Fall Day

There was a chill in the air

I had not noticed before.

It was September, and I wore

a warm coat and cozy footwear.

My coat lifted in a breeze

that swept swiftly down the street,

shifting the summery heat

and sending shivers to some leaves.

That is when I saw just one

floating down from up above,

from the maple tree I love.

Pale orange like morning sun

on a partly cloudy day,

the leaf was not all drained of green;

I wondered if that could mean

its dropping from the tree may

have been an accident of wind,

not a sign of early fall,

though I would not mind that at all.

Cool air? Warm colors? I grinned.

Raking crisp leaves with my dad

and plopping in puffy piles;

driving into the country for miles

for the best apples to be had.

It made me think about it all,

how the seasons soon drift,

why I take pleasure in these shifts,

like winter following fall.

Cold snowy days bring fun changes.

Ever try skating on ice?

And sipping hot cocoa is nice!

Just as nature arranges

to wear something new,

I pull out other boots and clothes,

placing them in careful rows.

I like to look different too.

That floating leaf was key,

a reminder from the sky

that in each new season will lie

a clue of what is to be.