Wanting to bring you along on the journey

THANKSGIVING POEM: HOW TO

Don’t write right away, but soon.
Watch the leaves and the light fully
Connect – allow – relax – delight.
Too quick is a tourist in a selfie,
Taj Mahal untended over left shoulder.
Wait too long and the phone will ring

Write a few hundred poems before – good and bad,
so fear of the water doesn’t keep you on shore
And how about a title throwing two shadows
(as Mary Oliver encourages)
an easy one here with movement and the season

Do not say leaves look toward the sun, an object,
but towards the rising of the sun, an event
one more evocative of motion

Note the angle of the sun,
so low on the horizon that is shines upwards
into the twisting, twirling, falling leaves,
as they lift at times in slightly gusting breeze

If pirouetting is what you see, bring the ballet in

And gratitude, of course, and on what day

Poem expanded – adding some angles

A FALL MOMENT
Austin, Nov. 27, 2014

The ancient elm, shaking herself awake
releases a shower of small golden leaves

Turning each edge to the rising of sun
they dance in a small breeze ballet

Some cheekily exposing cheeks
some shyly turning away

some reaching back to momma tree
some rushing to grace the ground

some hanging in hesitant suspension

If it were not Thanksgiving day
I would be grateful anyway

A FALL MOMENT –

Second try – one less line

The ancient elm, shaking herself awake
releases a shower of small golden leaves

Turning each edge to the rising of sun
they dance in a small breeze ballet

If it were not Thanksgiving day
I would be grateful anyway

First poem – written within the hour

A FALL MOMENT

The ancient cedar elm next door
in shaking herself awake
releases a shower of small golden leaves

Turning each edge to the rising of sun
they dance in a small breeze ballet

If it were not Thanksgiving day
I would be grateful anyway