Of A Literary Bent: Fall Wind Blows written by Nina Ricci

The fall wind shakes the nonsense out of trees

And blows the ne’er-do-wells into hiding

It upheaves the musks of earth that turn the leaves colorful

And it’s an early sign to wildlife to make their houses sturdy

Like spring, the high breeze shakes leaves

and builds a roaring voice that rouses the inner man to fear God

pushing the calloused feelings to the surface and standing hairs on end

It’s intensity builds to a climax like a gripping sermon

And releases its wrath like a come-along grip—

All the vessels relax and the playful leaves circle around the ground

chasing each other like silly squirrels

Dancing to a halt in the dirt

From the porch rails, I watch the ground

listening for signs of life in the forest

wondering if it’s alright to breathe

because it feels like the air has been sucked out of the world

And I’m left standing on an empty planet

In these vacuous moments, time slows down like a walk on the moon

And like a shaken snow globe, the glitter falls till there’s no motion at all

I believe I could right the wrongs if the world stopped like it does after the fall wind blows

There’s a depth of no motion, and a profound “pause” that makes me wonder if people keep time in Heaven?

I rest on my laurels in the great sea of peace that has spread across the world

When— a rustle behind me in an appointed tree starts the tickle that begins its coarse

running through the forest like mischief building speed

—Like the wrist flick that strikes the whip

Another fall wind blows

Of A Literary Bent