Love In An Autumn Rain

as the first drops of rain
fall on the dried leaves
lying broken on the ground,
quilted in infinite shades
of red, orange, and brown,
I marvel at how death
can be so beautiful

a moist wind blows cool
through my hair and then
chases the dried leaves
around my yard, rearranging
them before spilling them
at my feet in a new wonderful
pattern that crackles as
I take a step forward

I breathe in deeply; the cold,
crisp air rushing into my
lungs, and I hold it there for
a moment, savoring the taste
of autumn on my lips and in
my chest before I release it
to again mix with its own

the leaves are getting heavy now,
weighed down by the rain as
they drink the moisture into
their dry, crumpled bodies,
relaxing and becoming once more
soft and pliable, and as they
lay flat, as one, I think of
love in an autumn rain

- Stephen W. Brodie