Autumn Road

The roads we travel will always lead us home...

Autumn Road 

By 

Carlos Lorenzo Estrada 

(A Perpetual Fall)

Upon this Autumn road I've walked 

With weary heart confess 

Beneath the fervent cypress leaves 

That clatter calm distress 

In wild grass that blooms emerald 

and bends in sorrow'd waves 

Each blade languished; from a song of wind

Within changing of her days

The blossoms of a florets Spring 

Paint lavish earth with vibrance 

As daisies frolic 'pon their stems 

In echo of their silence 

The tender weeping of a stream 

Pours gently upon its path

Crescendos into river's edge

And roars with nature's wrath

Wisterias draped with Spanish moss

Enchanting in their presence 

As dandelion seeds flutter like rain

In hauntingly abundance 

The call of tree birds ring aloud

On thorny aureate branches

With iridescent wings aflutter 

Take to wind in joyful dances

In the labor of my tired limbs 

I walk this path alone

In search for simple peace of mind

From quiet steps I roam 

For road was long; I've traveled far

And forgotten where and when

To reach the garden of God's soul

and find myself again... 

Author's Note

The path we roam will always lead us home. But home is not always the place we may have expected or wanted in our search. Love often works in such mysterious ways as we know. Hopes often flutter in the wind upon these roads and time often stops, or moves us forward to the point we have forgotten where and when our journey began. And when we look behind ourselves we find we are alone. With our thoughts, the wind, nature, and what we believe as God.

Reviews

[Weeping willow]

These words are so very beautiful and relatable Loved the flow. Within the lines are hidden meaning as we all travel a road of search of the hidden treasures within ourselves ;-}

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Weeping Willow for your sweet assessment on this piece. You are truly correct. That is what makes ,if so damn remarkable. We travel this road in search of that hidden treasure within us all, and that being us as individuals. We walk an Autumn Road of our own. And I hope that yours is just as tragically beautiful as well as inspiring. Thank you again for your kind words. CLE

[Marvin Thomas Cox-Flynn..]

Carlos,

You have set to pen of page beautifully written philosophical words that do though provokingly touch upon all that Man is in his Humanity-prone quest which is none other than a desire to revisit and re-establish his innermost evaluation's sensation of having known and found true value in himself, and that long before other distractions of our planetary reality led him astray to eventually forget who he was and who he is, what he loves and desires, what lights the very fires of his heart and mind, as life and time can be ever so unkind as to numb the mind in amnesiac cruelty of having forgotten who we are and why as we look to the empty skies for answers that can only be found within ourselves as a truest revisit to that only Eden Man has ever known of actually known: The Heart-of-Man itself, before overthinking habits of conceit of our own significance defiled that garden of the Human Heart & Mind ...

Most inspiring lines here as I do hope that you can tell ...

Marve

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

You have captured the allure and relevant philosophy of the heart in this poem. It is an existential piece that reflects our place in the universe. A smallness in the portrait of a grandeur divinely image. Yet, despite what we may believe in our insignificance our purpose in the overall beauty gives it meaning because we understand and comprehend this momof brevity. We are but a shimmer in the greater symmetry of God. Thank you so much for sharing your insight and profoundly moving comment on this piece of poetry.

[red93]

Shades of the English Romantic Wordsworth with this one, in his poetic wanderings. A very painterly and evocative Piece. Excellent ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Art inspires art. Or a lesser form from the original. But no less beautiful or evocative in ways. We stand upon the shoulders of those greats that came before us. Whose works inspire us to our own artistic endeavors. I would consider myself a success if I could be even a 5th of a poet Wordsworth was. Of course being lucky enough to drive through the incredible mountainous and visually stunning landscapes of Monterey County does help inspire such notable words. Thank you so much my friend for this wonderful comment on this poem. It truly means a lot. CLE

[William Michael Reeves]

Not really alone with all that, are we? Hard to be lonely when we have poetry. You share, and we see. By your side is where the wind, nature and God will be ... not to mention, me.

billigami

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

You are truly correct in your assessment my friend. We really are never alone. Thank you kindly for your comment.

[Ken Simm.]

At first glance this is such an evocative visual poem. A simple joy for a painter. But on further reading I see the lights and story of faith and belief that is entwined within it. A multi layered rather beautiful creation.
And what we believe as God indeed.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me on this poem. I truly appreciate it Ken. This piece is multilayered as I have come to believe we all travel our own Autumn road. I sought to use visuals of nature as metaphors for those that made me who I am. My father's rough hand and ways reflected in the raging river. My mom's enabling attitudes reflected in the bended sorrow'd grass. The frolicking daisies my past loves. And the hopeful flight of birds my grandmother's eternal optimism. All moments lived on this road of life I've walked. God has always been synonymous with love. Never really a religious figure to me, but love in its purity and unconditional. We all walk this path and in the brevity of these simple moments disregard their illuminating beauty and sorrow only to realize later in life their profound impact. We are the culmination of these little things called love. CLE

[Ken Simm.]

Thanks for that more detailed explaination. Yes, I can see all those things in there. And you are more than welcome.

[redzone]

Our journey begins
Upon first breath;
Our path twisted and often unhinged;
but we all know it ends in death.

we write poems, sing songs, love and are loved, and create beautiful art as we journey through our lives and yet it is only us who contemplate our existence and determine the paths we take. And in some ways, we also determine our deaths, since how we live also determines how we die.

your poem was a pleasure to read and enjoy Carlos, thanks for sharing it and alowing me to wander in it.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you so much for your kind words that are filled with so much wisdom. When I wrote this piece I wanted to use nature and its image for metaphor to love. My father's rage is in the image of the river. My grandmother's hopeful optimism is in the flight of birds. My. Mother's enabling attitude in the sorrow'd bending grass. In the frolicking daisies are my past loves. God has always been synonymous with love, never a figure of religious idolatry to me. Because on my Autumn road I see it in these moments. All of which have come to define me. And in the end we all have our own roads we travel. To that place, of us. Thank you for all the wonderful art of words you contribute to the community. It is because of you and others here who are willing to share their own art that this place is an Autumn Road.

[Soren]

Carlos this poem brings memories of "The road not taken" by Robert Frost. A beautiful description of nature and I feel that I have been there befor. So well rhymed and with such good meter as well. A pleasure to read.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Soren for such a kind comment on this piece. I have always wanted to write a piece that utilized imagery of nature as a narrative to a life lived. My father was the raging river. My grandmother the hopeful flight of birds. My mother the sorrow'd bending grass. The frolicking daisies my past loves. God to me has always been synonymous with love. Never a religious figure. And love, whether pained or true, is in all these things of life. In the moments. That was in the context of writing that defines this piece. Thank you so much again my friend. CLE

[Soren]

Beautiful! A most wonderful metaphor thank you for sharing

[Betty Hermelee]

Nice rhyming....along with vivid images of your walking path....sometimes walking alone and not knowing exactly where it will bring you, is good for the soul....a special journey to find oneself....among the natural beauty we can all enjoy...nicely written Carlos...
Warmly, B

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you kindly B. For the longest time I wanted to write an evocative piece filled with beautiful images that in truth reflect the lives of those that define me. My grandmother is in the flight of birds. My father's rage is the river. The sorrowful bending grass my mother. In the daisies I see my past loves. Where do they all lead? To a place of love. God to me has always been synonymous with love. Not religion to me. God is in all these beautiful moments. It is where all our Autumn roads lead. CLE

[Betty Hermelee]

You certainly did a beautiful job of your family tree and all the descriptives….so honest and sincere…
Warmly, B.

[Chris Shaw]

Wonderful couplets laden with beautiful imagery. A reminder of how the natural environment can be such a boon as we travel the road of life. Our journey and ours alone. No one does it for us. Always a pleasure to read you Carlos. Have a great week.

Chris

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Chris for the sweet words and encouragement you always share. Not just with me but others in the community. This place is an Autumn road unto itself. Each dynamic piece of poetry and writing taking the readers to places they dream and yearn for. As your own artful work often does as well. Life is filled with these moments I've described in this piece. They can often reflect people we know. A raging river; my father. A flight of birds; my hopeful grandmother. We can find a bit of ourselves in these images. They make us who we are. God to me has never been a religious figure but instead synonymous with Love. In its purity. It's what we all in moments of life reach for or yearn to be. It is in the quiet moments of a perfect kiss. Where our road changes forever in another direction. For two. Thank you so much again for all you contribute to the community, but especially for being a remarkable artist of words.

[Chris Shaw]

And a huge thank you to you Carlos for your kindness and appreciation of my efforts :)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I really like how you use oxymorons ...."calm distress"---
This is "the road taken"---a long one with much distress, and then getting to the end of it, wondering why we got here, and why we took this road in the first place. Life can do this to us.
j.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you J for sharing your thoughts with me. The wisdom of your insightful words, as well as eye for subtle nuance within art truly defines your uncompromising love for poetry. I wanted to paint a life lived in words. Each evocative and natural image a reflection of moments. Much like the things that we retain in memory that are memorable to us, like living treasure. Even if some moments may have been born from melancholy. There is beauty in everything it just may take time to see and realize it. We live, we love, we laugh, we cry, and we rage in the history of us. But in the end we take flight towards greater purpose and pursuits. We all walk our Autumn road. I apologize for not writing sooner. It's been difficult these past months finding the time. The new job has occupied much of it. Hopefully soon I'll be able to spend more time on my writing, proofreading, and editing of my work. I miss being here and reading all the amazing writing and poetry in our community. It's inspiring as art often is. Thank you so much my friend.