The are some people who love the autumn season, finding it the most beautiful time of year–I’m not one of them. While I can be swept away by breathtaking foliage colors, especially in parts of New England, my overwhelming sense is one of sadness and dread….regret that the carefree summer is over and reluctance to embrace the winter ahead.
As in other areas of life, I am seeking to shift my perspective and embrace the natural cycles of life. The beauty of fall will surely be met by a barren winter and the hope of spring. With unusual weather patterns of unseasonably high (and low) temperatures and the assaults of two hurricanes over the last several years, a brilliant fall show of colors is most certainly not guaranteed. But after a dreary, cold, and wet summer, we have been graced with a fine, fall leaving season. Enjoy the following poetry to celebrate the season.
From “Earth” by Kahlil Gibran
…How beautiful you are, Earth, and how sublime!
How perfect is your obedience to the light, and How noble is your submission to the sun!
How lovely you are, veiled in shadow, and how Charming your face, masked with obscurity!
How soothing is the song of your dawn, and how
harsh are the praises of your eventide!
How perfect you are, Earth, and how majestic!
I have seen the fruits of your summer labor,
In Autumn, in your vineyards, I saw your
blood flow as wine.
Your winter carried me into your bed, where the
snow
Attested to your purity.
In your Spring you are an aromatic essence; in
your
Summer you are generous; in your Autumn you
are
A source of plenty…
…How generous your are, Earth, and how strong is
your
yearning for your children lost between that which
they have attained and that which they could not
obtain.
We clamor and you smile; we flit
but you stay!…
…Are you a fruit ripened by the sun?
Did you grow from the tree of Absolute
Knowledge, whose roots extend through
Eternity, and whose branches run through the
Infinite?…