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Before the worst of winter
And its discontents,
There is a time for mellowness
And a kaleidoscope of colour.
Summer green turns into brandy snap and rusty gold.
Leaves curl and twirl and crinkle and twist,
Scarlet stalks of chard glow
like stained glass in a cathedral window.
This is the wallpaper of my mind:
egg yolk yellow, burnt orange, oh-so-cherry red,
the purple and cream
of the passion flower.
A southerly wind saunters by.
Speckled foliage whispers and falls in a dance
While wild black fruits persist
Before giving way, withering, to die.
Someone is sweeping and clearing
In a garden,
Peacefully
Enjoying the fullness, the emptiness.
Mother Earth is aging.
Lines deepen in the wrinkling leaf
In this, my zenith of the year.
Ablaze. Beguiling.
This is autumn treasure,
So precious
And so sweet.
© by Nicholas Henshall
Used with the author's permission.
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Nicholas Henshall was born in Manchester and grew up in northern England. He now lives in Paris, where he works as a journalist. Nicholas loves long conversations, new destinations, and poetry. His favourite literary lines are the soliloquy, “What light is light if Silvia be not seen?” from Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
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jamvan:
a jewel of a poem. How beautiful is Autumn - thanks.
Posted 11/10/2021 12:23 AM
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Stephen Anderson:
A richly crafted autumn poem, Nicholas!
Posted 11/07/2021 02:50 PM
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Jo:
Love everything about your poem.
Reading it again when Im finished here while looking out my window.
Thank you.
Posted 11/07/2021 01:11 PM
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CamilleBalla:
Leaves curl and twirl and crinkle and twist, I like the rhythm and appreciate your phrases and poetic devices. oh- so-cherry red!
Posted 11/07/2021 11:30 AM
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Lori Levy:
Love all the colors.
Posted 11/07/2021 09:34 AM
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Michael:
Like this language-rich, descriptive poem . . . well done Nicholas.
Posted 11/07/2021 08:27 AM
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KevinArnold:
finely crafted--thanks.
Posted 11/07/2021 07:53 AM
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Nicholas:
Brandy snap is a kind of biscuit v. popular in northern England https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/brandy-snaps
Posted 11/07/2021 07:48 AM
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Larry Schug:
Some very good lines and insight here, such as "enjoying the fullness, the emptiness", the aforementioned line about Swiss chard and "brandy snap and rusty gold". In fact, "brandy snap, brandy snap, brandy snap". I could repeat it aloud over and over.
Posted 11/07/2021 07:42 AM
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Rob:
Beautiful images!Favorite: "Scarlet stalks of chard glow/like stained glass in a cathedral window".
Posted 11/07/2021 06:06 AM
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paula:
Great language!
Posted 11/07/2021 05:18 AM
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