Autumn

by Cheryl Merrick

Bright yellow leaves
against a sharp blue sky,
Leaves crunching under feet,
Reds, yellows, and golds
glowing in a soft misty world,
Crisp days and frosty nights,
Smells of grapes and pumpkins,

Mounds of raked leaves
dotting the landscape,
Magpies and woodpeckers
worrying walnuts open,
Trees standing silently
silhouetted in a blazing sky,
Land slowing turning
to a comforting earthy brown,
Autumn has arrived.