Harbingers of Autumn

Magpies swoop into the yard,

Their avian tuxedos

A flashy sign autumn is near.

Days later rain comes,

Chilling the air.

Winds blow through,

Ushering in the next season

And loosing blankets of pine needles

To the ground.

The sun now regularly shares the sky

With moisture laden clouds,

Puffs of gray and white cotton balls

Gliding lazily by.

Aphids polka-dot the air

In swirling white dots.

Mushrooms emerge

Poking their brown heads up

Through the still green grass.

Leaves change

And begin their final descent

From their summertime perches

To grace the ground with color.

Inside,

Sweaters come out for washing.

Closet shelves are scoured for gloves.

Windows,

Once flung open wide,

Are closed to a slit

And heaters roar to life.

A season ends,

Another begins.

What will this new one bring?

It is not ours to know.

We must wait and see

What is in the mind and will of the Creator.

As the yellow maple leaf

Flutters effortlessly to the ground,

We can rest and be at peace,

Knowing this change is fully under His control.

Take pleasure in the change;

Do not mourn the ending of summer.

Look to God through a child’s eye,

Excited at the prospect

Of receiving a new present.