Falling Into Change

Tangerine and carmine leaves coalesce a cerulean sky as crisp, morning air and dewy, cool grass welcome dying life and weakening sunlight. My summer memories fleetly fade alas the

crisp, evening air and dry, cool grass with bonfire fragrance emerging, like the creeping critters at night; warm, summer memories fleetly fade alas, the algid autumn air fogs the breath and the sight.

The creeping, craving critters emerge at night, others hibernating in warmth or scampering to the south, scrounging for food as the algid autumn air fogs their breath and their sight, dreaming of what life could be as they pile nuts and berries in their mouths.

Some creatures, when its cooling, simply achieve a vicious trek; majestic monarchs fly to Mexico, a warmer, sunnier place abundant with oyamel fir trees to shelter and protect, accepting a new season of waiting in their tree space.

One day the majestic monarchs will fly back north to Texas, a warming place, different from the winter shelter and soft winter light, but abundant with milkweed for nourishing and mating, before leaving behind brilliantly striped caterpillars of black, gold, and white.

For now the creatures wait in their winter shelter with the soft winter light, hiding from the dying life and the weakening sunlight. Soon the time will come to bloom, and be beautiful again, long after the tangerine and carmine leaves no longer coalesce a cerulean sky.