Monday Reflections: Song for Autumn

“Don’t you imagine the leaves dream now
how comfortable it will be to touch
the earth instead of the
nothingness of the air and the endless
freshets of wind?”

— Poet Mary Oliver

Sometimes, poets help us see the world from a different perspective, painting pictures with words that remind us of our inner lives. Photo by Paul Gomez

Friends,

I love poetry. Sometimes, poets help us see the world from a different perspective, painting pictures with words that remind us of our inner lives. I don’t think anyone did this better than Mary Oliver. Today, I am sharing one of her poems about autumn, describing nature as welcoming change. May we be aware of the beauty that surrounds us. May we find the heart of God in the fallen leaves, the yearning trees and the sleeping birds.

Song for Autumn

Don’t you imagine the leaves dream now
how comfortable it will be to touch
the earth instead of the
nothingness of the air and the endless
freshets of wind? And don’t you think
the trees, especially those with
mossy hollows, are beginning to look for

the birds that will come—six, a dozen—to sleep
inside their bodies? And don’t you hear
the goldenrod whispering goodbye,
the everlasting being crowned with the first
tuffets of snow? The pond
stiffens and the white field over which
the fox runs so quickly brings out
its long blue shadows. The wind wags
its many tails. And in the evening
the piled firewood shifts a little
longing to be on its way.