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

[Orphic Dreamer]

I admire how you interweaved the beauty of autumn and the loss of a loved one. It is a nostalgic season, the leaves meant to fall for greater things to bloom. An absolutely beautiful piece!

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thanks Dreamer. i'm glad you ame by to check this poem out. have a good one. and please check out my profile again!

[Betty Hermelee]

A very sensitive piece not only about the beauty of autumn and its colorful, peaceful scene, but flashes of your mother at different times in her life….getting old and gray and then ultimately dying….. this is a well described poem of my favorite season,and a lovey tribute to your mom….
well done!
warmly, B🌷

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thanks B. i'm always glad to read your comments.

[Betty Hermelee]

you’re very welcome EM🌷
warmly, B

[Neville]

Exquisite ink such as this reminds me of why I want to be a poet one day myself .. Neville

[Sami Khalil]

You write and convey beautifully. Sorry for your loss; both of mine are passed long time ago, although the mother is the hardest. I see how Autumn heightens your senses.
I love Autum, too for many reasons.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thanks again for stopping by. the first year is going to be the hardest but i remain strong. and you're right, my senses are heightened and i feel a lot of love for everyone recently.

[Sami Khalil]

Wow! You are welcome Ern.

[Kelly Scheppers]

Since you shared with me a quote by Emily Dickinson, I shall do you the same. This was written by Friedrich Nietzsche, who said "Autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature." How apropos it is, in reading your poem, Ern. I love taking those long walks when the season is in full bloom, with bare trees and leaves blowing in a blustery November wind. I lost my mother many years ago, in autumn. But I carry her memory with me, in my heart and in my soul!

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thank you Kelly for sharing your comments. i think there is nothing sadder than losing your mother, although it is basically an inevitable part of life. and Nietzsche's words are spot on - i always thought of him more as a poet than a philosopher.

[Ennay]

Autumn is the season of memories. Reminding me of things from the past, and it can be quite beautiful. You portrayed this wonderfully.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thanks Ennay. i'm glad this work resonated with you. andi hope you fill this season reliving happy memories while it still lasts.

[Samuel Dickens]

I suspect there is more meaning in these words than my limited familiarization can find. There are parts that hit home, like the beautiful Autumn when things changed, and the loss of your mother. I take your words and apply them to my own story. Excellent writing.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

Thanks Samuel. please take my words and recreate them into your own image. i'm flatterred that anyone will take inspiration from my writing.
for me, a true poem doesn't have one obvious interpretation, and sometimes you have to read it over and over again. so, if you have time please re-read it, that would really please me xD

[Gee]

Autumn comes to.is in September/October and for 4-6 weeks all is ablaze with beauty and then the dull, drear, wet, gloom of winter descends upon us:(

Tis a lovely piece of writing Erm

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thanks Gee. i appreciate you dropping by! the cold is fast approaching, i can feel it...

[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.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

thanks Chris. i am alwaygs glad to have a new reader. see you around!

[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.

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

i think you understood this poem better than i did. thank you for your review, and i hope to see you again.