Long light, waiting earth
Golden rays sift through branches
Oaks lift trembling praise.

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Sunset washes woods
Goldenrod to deep umber,
Brushing creatures’ souls.

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One by one dying,
Golden autumn falling leaves
Nourish coming spring.

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Canada Geese wheeling toward earth
in the cold, steely sky,
their great wings outstretched
to catch unseen currents.

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Nature holds her secrets:
Burnt leaves hang limp as if dead,
Guard the tree’s hidden life.

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Morning rays kiss earth:
Gratitude spills out like light;
Blessing comes again.

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Silk mist climbs the hill
softening lines in the rain –
autumn earth drinks deep.

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Just as December winds blow and
wintry soil awaits earth’s warming,
so we await the birth of Christ
in our hearts and lives.

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Lush, green moss paints old
oak trees dark with recent rain:
God’s promises kept.

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Liquidambar rests
Winter branches droop with weights:
Seed balls held for spring.

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Afternoon light gilds
downed, old oak branch dropped to earth,
turning it to gold.

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A world washed clean from last night’s rain
Tiny, new-green shoots push up through wet, red soil
Miniscule leaves begin to uncurl aside
Puddles rest in upturned leafy cups.

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Mossy rills on an old oak tree –
Shelves of deep green lace on rough bark
Drinking in the morning’s moist air:
Nature’s off’ring, Communion cup.

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It’s true: dead, decaying leaves
Become the duff that protects new life,
Pushing up through soil into wintry air.
But it is no smooth transition
For the leaf, giving its everything,
Or for the shoot, baring its soul.
Death brings new life, but not from a distance.
Life calls for risk on either end.