Patagonia

just give me a coat

and i will walk through winter

with my grin bearing

It All Falls Down

we can’t have autumn 
without the vibrant colors 
of all that is lost

trees casting shadows 
that can’t be hidden by cats
seasonal comfort

the mulch is spread out
yet the moldy dust persists 
in every choked breath

this dry spell persists
through the blue-sky heat of fall
and I can’t let go

it could be sunrise 
bright as fire, so hopeful:
giving us new light

it could be blue sky
perfectly reflective blue
blue as blue as blue

but it isn’t blue
it’s a pile of wood chips 
darker than the sun