Remember November
The leaves are still changing
Still letting go
And the ground is carpeted
with a riotous palette of colour
The leaves that contribute
to the colourful canopy above
cast no blame or shame
on those that have fallen
And the leaves that litter walkways
and swirl across paths
congregating in corners
do not look back
or regret their letting go.
Their work continues
in nourishing seeds that lie hidden
in ground that slumbers
Their work continues
in bringing joy to toddlers
who delight in the crunchiness
they create underfoot
Their work continues
in the vast store of sustenance
that the squirrels heap up
to see them through the winter.
And we are invited to inhabit
awe and wonder
in this tangible evidence
of the rhythm of creation
in which all matter
and everything counts
and nothing is wasted
And we could do worse
than embody
the practices of the earth
as she shows us
carefully and colourfully
with extravagance and exuberance
how to embrace life
in every season.
(Liz Crumlish November 2022)
