A Fall Poem
As today marks the first day of fall, we're greeted by nature's spectacular display of transformation. This photo, which holds a special place in my heart, captures a moment frozen in time - my daughter, Chloe, at 11 years old, gazing up at a maple tree’s beautiful vibrant colors. It's a scene that embodies fall's fleeting yet profound beauty.
Looking at this photo now, with Chloe now away at college, I'm struck by how it represents multiple layers of change. Just as the seasons shift, so too have our lives evolved. This image serves as a tender reminder of a time when both my children were young and still at home, a period as beautiful and transient as the autumn leaves.
In my past life as a poet, I explored these deep emotions that change and the passing seasons evoke. Though I've largely moved on from writing and self-publishing poetry, the last poem that I wrote still resonates with me each year as leaves begin to turn. It reflects on autumn's passing radiance and the bittersweet process of letting go:
Falling Through Time
With a sigh of contradiction,
I smile at the beauty before me
but weep at the dreary bitterness that awaits.
Already yearning for what is to be missed,
a fleeting moment escapes in the gust of forever.
Soon only lonely branches to remain.
This poem encapsulates the duality of autumn - its breathtaking beauty intertwined with a sense of impending loss. The opening line, "With a sigh of contradiction," immediately establishes the conflicting emotions often associated with fall and, indeed, with watching our children grow. As we "smile at the beauty" of the present moment, we simultaneously "weep at the dreary bitterness that awaits," acknowledging the changes to come.
The verse touches on our human tendency to yearn for what we know we'll soon lose, even as we're experiencing it. The powerful metaphor of "a fleeting moment escapes in the gust of forever" speaks to the transience of autumn and, by extension, life itself. It reminds me how quickly these precious moments with our children pass into memory.
As the leaves transform and fall, we're reminded of life’s cycle of renewal. This season invites us to reflect on our own journey of growth and change. What parts of ourselves are we ready to let go, like leaves drifting on an autumn breeze? And what new possibilities might emerge as we embrace this season of transformation in our lives and families?