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