Farmer’s Pond by author

I could write many things but when I sat down all that wrote itself was an unedited poem that I suppose is what is at the top of my heart. In October I also look forward to the fun of Halloween when I am disguising my large power chair as an Amazon delivery truck with piling on lots of saved Amazon packages and small boxes. Where I live, we get a local delivery group that only wears black caps and black T shirts, not the typical blue vests of the real deal Amazon delivery folks. I can’t exactly become unknown in a costume as I am the only one with such a chair, so disguising the chair seemed like a better idea!

Here is the poem and I wish you all a lovely fall season, including some fun on Halloween.

October

The news is very sad.

I only take sips to be informed.

But filtering lies and hatred,

deliberate destruction and hardship

is hard to bear.

The world has unraveled before.

Civilization after civilization

is buried and has been rediscovered

beneath our feet, in caves, revealed in far away places.

It is my turn to witness the loss of life as I know it.

My turn to whimper in helpless sorrow.

My turn to find a way to believe

wrenching change to the world order

will eventually lead to wholeness

beyond my understanding.

Perhaps not in my lifetime.

Perhaps not in my grandchildren’s lifetimes.

Trying to envision their lives

Is already beyond me.

Sitting today by the pond,

a nippy sunny fall day,

was pure joy.

Every part of the natural world-

tiny minnows squirming in the muddy shallows,

a turtle falling off the clump of brown lily pads,

the hunkered down blue heron,

the buzzing bees, flies, wasps, white butterflies,

all dancing among the fall flowers-

fill my senses with life preparing

to go quiet as the season progresses.

Everything must come to its end.

We know this, yet,

I long for the gentle shifts,

the graceful unfolding, withering, detaching

leafy ways that appeal to my human perceptions.

The world is what it is.

We are called to pay attention,

to act where we can, heal what we can,

be the best we can be, give what we can give.

Let’s embed ourselves in the joyful wholeness

each day offers as it comes.

Bumblebee on aster by author