The leaves are out

The leaves are out

 in full colours today

 oh, what splendour!

 oh... what beauty.

Autumn is the greatest 

 month.

A time for remembrance,

a time for grieving.

Grieving can be beautiful too,

 said my mother.

Then, she died.

In spring, as the flowers

 blossomed

my mother, brought in

 the groceries

 before retreating to bed

 for a rest,

 she shut her eyes,

 peaches in the sky.

Half a year hence

 a half year of grey,

 the burning sun,

 air-conditioning,

 hot, sleepless nights.

But autumn is the greatest 

 month.

A time for walks

 through yellow woods,

a time for shorebirds

 to take flight,

a time for beautiful men

 , like me, 

 to sit quietly and wonder.

 Autumn 

 is the greatest month.

 An autumn like this

 comes around

 only once. 

--7th november 2024.

Author's Note

still not a hundred per cent. getting there. i will try to respond and comment on everyone's work as much as i can.

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I feel this...autumn is my favorite season and I lost my mother several years ago.
My favorite picture of her is one taken in Vermont on a beautiful fall day and she is standing in front of a maple tree, decked out in its orange and gold...and she in her Pendleton jacket.
j.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thanks for sharing J. i hope this year is a year to blossom

[Chris Shaw]

Autumn is not my favourite time of year, but the colours of the leaf canopy can be incredible. This is a touching read in which you remember your late mother and the imagery conveyed is most beautiful. A lovely poem Ern. The first I have read of yours. Pleased to stop by.

[Aarti Sriram]

A heartfelt poem dear @Ern, you write about loss and remembrance, the profound grief of losing mother. Your lenses of autumn depicts that pain and losss but also highlights a special meaning about relationships. Autumn is also a transition, leading up to winter similar to your transition from grief to moving forward in life.. The self-reflection, survival, and strength to continue all very well composed dear in your writing The recurring emphasis on autumn as a great month is something I resonate well with.

[Andra Davis]

Autumn isn't my best season but you made it good.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thanks Andra for stopping by! different strokes for different folks, but i'm glad i could share you my fondness for fall.

[duff]

The colors are vibrant and there is an uplifting sadness throughout. Its quite beautiful.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thanks Duff :D

[redzone]

Ern, loss of a loved one is always hard. It has been 8 years since my mom passed. I think of her often, at times it just hit you. I wrote this to my dad after her death.... "A flower blooms for only a moment, but its opened petals brings light and joy to the world." She loved African Violets. It's strange perhaps, but my mom passed in Autumn, just a few days shy of Winter.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thank you redzone for your comment and sharing your story. it's been less than a year for me, and i will give it more time and try to be grateful for the light and joy she brought into my world.

[Rosalie-O]

Like many, I appreciate Autumn above the rest of the seasons. It retains its own beauty and melancholy that just suits my personality.

Whereas most write of Spring as the season of hope and rejuvenation after personal loss, your choice of Autumn is clever and original. Whatever the season we fancy most, immersing ourselves in its beauty with heart, mind and soul can only lead us to our own inner Spring.

Well written.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thanks Rosalie. i also think of spring as a time for rejuvenation. i think of autumn as a time that allows us to feel sorrow. yet in that sorrow, one can also find hope. and the changing of the leaves helps us find it.

[Pete]

contemplative words. touching. nature has much to say and teach if we are attentive. i enjoyed this as i love nature.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

i think the love of nature is embedded in all hearts. too bad people are 'busy' and foresake time in it. you are right, nature teaches things we cannot read off a phone. i certainly have learned a lot.

[Red Brick Keshner]

Get well soon! Missing autumn this year and feeling the summery furnace of Spring (Aussie style) perhaps next year but your poem brings me back to the fullness of a nihon aki.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thanks mate, hope the heat doesn't kill ya.
i live in japan now and so it's sweaters and hot chocolates evey day this month. have a good one.

[Red Brick Keshner]

Makes me jealous. Last year we were at cocoon mall and enjoyed the brisk weather after taking the littlies to see Disney in Ice. Onya mate!

[AYVID N]

This is a very beautiful expression of loss mingled with a deep rooted love for nature's beauty. The loss is embellished by the beauty around the poet till it glimmers as a precious gem within his heart.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thank you, i feel so flattered! you got me just right, i believe spending time in nature helps us heal all kinds of wounds and tried to express my gratitude in this poem. hope you found the time today to stroll through a park or go on a hike.

[AYVID N]

You're welcome. Yes, I did sit in my terrace garden for some time. Thanks. :)

[Arundass TP]

How much you love your mother, you love nature too. Full of feelings you wrote in this poem. Thumbs up 👍

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thank you sir. i love all the world, but like every boy, my mother comes first.

[Arundass TP]

Welcome friend 😊