Autumn Comes To Town

A Poem by Carey Lenehan

Reflection on the arrival of Autumn

Autumn Comes to Town.

A grey cat slides across a battlefield of death, a soft wraith with claws.
Every bend finds russet squirrels in the road
nutgathering, voraciously, dashing from sight, hands full.
Dusk brings swallows darting from regimented lines on
a low slung cable,
snatching at the last midges, stocking up for the long flight south.
I want to wish them bon voyage but they always leave me wanting to go too
and, anyway,
au revoir sounds so much better.
Everywhere, crunch and clunk, nuts and leaves fall in unison with
the roaring chain filled echo
of winter wood stocks cut and lain.
Drifting over all, the scent of apple smoke as
an old tree burns on my neighbours bonfire
Sharp pine tar pricks at raw nostrils and
in the morning light, dew laquers cold feet in pearl.

Under the steam of dawn sunlight,
dull coated horses wander waterwards in convoy,
whiskers beaded, ears expectant, manes
thickening.
What dappled autumn awaits the hunted, the lost?
What sunlit loveliness appeases the hearts of the cold?
Life scuttles underground and death sounds a triumphant roar.
As Autumn comes to town