October

Maple leaves
Originally uploaded by Carol J Carpenter.

Golden moondrops skitter
over dark rippled river
silver frost shimmers
quiet pumpkins wait
near trees decked out
in colors of fire
yellow, orange, crimson
migrating flocks
point the way south
wind shifts cold
twisting red cedars
back north
the tired earth
stripped of crops
lets out
one last sigh
before winter’s
grey and
desperate
slumber