We know the leaves are dying.
We know that their blaze of beauty is a preparation for death.
It is a time when we appreciate the effort of nature
to rise above the ordinariness of life and death.
It is a time when we visibly comprehend glory and wonder.
We feel now that the air is cool and crisp.
We feel now a clearing from the skies
of the heaviness of the hazes of summer.
It is a time when we appreciate the crispness and sharpness
of the realities of life and death.
It is a time when we physically comprehend the relief
that clarity and insight can bring.
We hear now the dry rustle of plants and grasses.
We hear now a crackling from the earth
that tells of the withering of the fullness of life.
It is a time when we appreciate approaching rest from the frantic fullness.
It is a time when we hear a different voice within,
and know that life is settling down for a well deserved wintering.
Let it be so within each of our lives
as we prepare for an autumn in our own life cycle.
For we all need rest and respite
if we are to understand and appreciate
the rhythm of life in our soul.
Elizabeth Strong