117 - Autumn Wondering

Autumn has been prolonged here in Chicago, temperate, sunny days that belie the calendar. Just as the news has suspended us in a state of wariness, so too these days force an examination of the weeks to come whose outcome is so uncertain. Now is the time to draw near to our faith.

One Hundred Seventeen

Autumn Wondering

In colder winds, swirling, gusting
Leaves of muted hues,
In colder winds,
I call You, O Eternal.

Strengthen my back, as raking into piles
I separate and contemplate
These days and changes,
Crackling and clinging against my heart.

Strengthen my arms as pulling and pulling
I drag this heaped tarpaulin of my dilemmas
To pile high and light with hope’s spark,
Burning away the turmoil of these days.

Not the pause before winter’s sleep
But a beginning; even as the dormant roots
Take up nourishment
So shall my resolve be nourished by the Eternal.

There, a patch of red and gold still clinging
Guards against selflessness:
Your gift to me as I straighten from raking,
As I push the glowing embers together.