Tuesday, September 1, 2020

The First of September

So what do I write on this first day
of this new month, September, this
almost autumn?

Do I write about how the garden
is nearly exhausted?
Do I write about how the leaves
are already beginning to turn?

Do I write about my dad, born in this month,
whose favorite color was red,
whose favorite flower was the American Beauty Rose,
whose favorite season was autumn?
Do I write about his strong, freckled hands,
or his neat-nick habits
or his quick mind
or his laugh that filled rooms
or his clever sense of humor?                  

Or do I write about the cooler nights
and the shorter days
and how death is coming for us all?


This is linked to dVerse Poets' Pub for their open link night.

20 comments:

  1. Oh my aching heart this is poignant ~

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    1. Thank you Sanaa. I love the beauty and fleeting nature of autumn.

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  2. Oh, so heartfelt and indeed truly poignant. Wow...

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  3. Autumn season for me is a melancholy one, filled with life's reflections. I feel your sadness.

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    1. I agree, Grace, it is a time of reflection. It's actually my favorite season, though tinged with sadness. Thank you.

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  4. Autumn's seems to make me feel a bit blue as summer is fading.

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    1. Yes, a bit...though I love autumn, the cooling, and the change of the seasons.

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  5. When a season brings back the memories of loved ones, everything else pales in comparison. Sorry for the loss of someone you obviously loved very much.

    Lisa at http://tao-talk.com

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    1. Thank you Lisa, and your right. My dad has been gone for many years, but I still think about him, and my mom, nearly every day. Good memories, not just sadness.

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  6. I felt the sadness in this poem, Mary, and the turning of the season. I like how it is structured by questions, that you leave the answers to the reader. The final stanza is powerful.

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    1. I appreciate your comments, Kim. Thank you. And I'm glad the questions work for you.

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  7. Very powerful and poignant, Mary. All the emotions strike a chord in me. I too, am thinking of loved ones who have passed at this transitional time.

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  8. Thank you MW. I like your description of autumn as transitional, that's it exactly.

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  9. Oh the autumn... I always think about death when autumn comes... my father was also born in September.

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  10. Hi Bjorn! Thanks for stopping by. I hope your dad has a good birthday.

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  11. Beautiful, vibrant memories of your dad, Mary! My dad turned 87 on September 2...and still has a sense of humor :)

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    1. That's wonderful, Lynn. A happy belated birthday to him from me! :)

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  12. You wrote about all that is important, and most important. Pulled at my heart and my soul.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Mary. I appreciate that comment quite a lot.

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