Ode to autumn

Autumn leaving
brings a kind of grieving 
a sorrowing 
at the shortness of the season
that savoured space 
between summer heat
and winter freezing

a colourful unleaving
skin shedding,
holy lenting, 
calving, isolating
autumn unlike any
I can remember: 
shrouded in smoke,
in soap, 
washed hands, news reel
and the sounds of 
home are amplified;
joyful, painful,
silent, ear splitting sounds 
blurry edged video calls - 
we’ve grown older
we’ve laboured,
schooled, baked,
sowed, and let go
and let go and let go -

Autumn like no other
and painted like every other:
ash gold, oak brown, 
gum grey, clover green,
hawthorn red 
marked with blood,
with loss and love.