Equinox
I wake inside a darkened room
The curtains wide open to welcome the rays
Of a star that is not shining for me
When did this happen?
My habits are the same
Did the sun forget to rise?
No, it’s a seasonal change
The days are shortening
While the nights get long
On this day they are equal
Tomorrow it will be a later dawn
I want to bury beneath the comfort of cotton
Hideaway from the dark and the chill
Of a new autumn day that is just the beginning
Of a time of refection and being still
Why not snooze until the sun comes up?
Because then I will be in a rush
Why not let this one time slide?
Responsibility for others that’s why
Life continues regardless of season
And I must move and wake the children
They have schoolwork and I have chores
To their desks and to the barn I go
Frost still clinging to a window
The air is crisp like a slap to the face
The animals are stirring
Anxiously awaiting sunshine and hay
They too must adjust to the change
With growing coats and slower pace
As one we inhale and exhale together
Our breath mingles at our morning gather
A beautiful day is heading our way
I’ll get all the work done so later we can play
The afternoon is glorious
The kind that makes you grateful
We two hop on our bikes
She has gotten quite good at the hill
I am fast on her heels and come to her side
We take our daily trip to the local nature preserve
To witness the colors of this perfect day
Gold and purple, green trees and blue over head
Feelings of fortune and royalty are the reasons
I dare not squander a second of this shifting season
The hours pass by all too swiftly
Pedaling and playing
Visiting with neighbors
I must cut the activities short
I need be home to return to my chores
Of making dinner and back to the barn
For graining and haying
Checking that the hens are secure
My day ends as it had begun
In the dark and the chill
As the sun goes down
This time I’m wrapped in a sweater
And still bustling to get it all done
But stop and pause to take in the sight
Of swooping bats against a purple night sky
Then the vixen lets out a raspy bark
Reminding me she begins her hunt at dark
I make my way back to the front yard
Gazing at the pit I wish I had stocked
So I could make a fire and gaze at the stars
Alas, the day was long
That dream is a farce
Tomorrow I can prepare to do it all
From dawn to dusk I will plan to enjoy
The transition that is this season of fall
