Autumn's First Signs (Sestina)

There’s a change soon to come with autumn signs,

And with leaves rustling above in the trees,

To breathe in each scent as I raise window shades  

A gentle rain starts to fall you can hear its pleas

On this beautiful day with all the leaves changing

Within a splash of vibrant colors inside rain

 

While drops fall on the windowpanes in soft rain

A beautiful time of year with all the signs

Of autumn and this seasonal changing

That I see out my window in the swaying trees

Just listen to them closely and hear their pleas

Appeals of constant changes I see out the shades

 

In greyish skies dark clouds I see outside my shades

To wander off to day dreams in light showers of rain

Is such a peaceful calm as I overhear all its pleas

Within soft winds which carry each of the signs

through tiny delicate leaves drying above in trees

while leaves whirl and twirl in the times changing

 

Reddish, yellow, brownish and orange changing

Leaves changing soon will lose their colorful shades

And bare limbs shall soon follow within the trees

whereas the snow will fall in a form of white rain

But for now I’ll just enjoy these beautiful signs

with watching swaying tree limb and listing to pleas

 

While quietly enjoying the rainwater and their pleas

In harvest time at times when all leaves are changing

Juggling around in the air is one of this first signs

As they hit the ground such loveliness out my shades

Each filled with tender drops from the soft falling rain

And each leaf in a gorgeous view ruffling in the trees

 

Soon children will be playing in the leaves from trees

with such pleasure and laughter just hear their pleas

After the weather dry’s and coming to a stop the rain

Much joy there is to watch nature constantly changing

In this special place I love to sit just behind the shades

totally mesmerized  by each of the beautiful signs

 

Lovely autumn trees, with colors ever changing

Silent cries within pleas, between window shades

Tiny drops hit the glass I watch autumn’s  first signs

Author's Note

The sestina is a strict ordered form of poetry, dating back to twelfth century French troubadours. It consists of six six-line (sestets) stanzas followed by a three-line envoy. Rather than use a rhyme scheme, the six ending words of the first stanza are repeated as the ending words of the other five stanzas in a set pattern. The envoy uses two of the ending words per line, again in a set pattern.

First stanza, ..1 ..2 ..3 ..4 ..5 ..6
Second stanza, ..6 ..1 ..5 .. 2 ..4 ..3
Third stanza, ..3 ..6 ..4 ..1 ..2 ..5
Fourth stanza, ..5 ..3 ..2 ..6 ..1 ..4
Fifth stanza, ..4 ..5 ..1 ..3 ..6 ..2
Sixth stanza, ..2 ..4 ..6 ..5 ..3 ..1

Concluding tercet:
middle of first line ..2, end of first line ..5
middle of second line ..4, end of second line..3
middle if third line ..6, end of third line ..1