Autumn

a shaft of sunlight
mottles the forest floor -
circle of mushrooms

- published in FreshOut, Jan 2023

raindrops
caught in the spider's web -
disappointment

fox shrine -
rain crashes through 
golden leaves

cold alley -
from the shadows
slips a white cat

misty rooftops - 
forty nine crows
take flight

eleventh hour -
auburn fingers caress 
pale flesh

outdoor dining -
shadows break the circle 
of the campfire

cold snap -
a dog's voice carries
on the wind

pumpkin flesh -
my rotting faces
mock me

through the darkness
a flickering grin -
candlelight

vibrant leaves
surround human statues -
highway protest

lightning flash -
seven perched ravens
stare back at me

golden rooster
perched above malted fields -
sunrise

warm colours -
a hazelnut plunges
through ink

slow footsteps crunch
a dozen shades of orange -
whispers in the fog

thundering rain
all around the makeshift crib -
smile caught in a flash

newborn grasping at
lemons falling from the sky -
grandpa's lunch runs cold

animal laughter 
pierces unnatural shade -
night shift

awesome scarlet oaks
oppose seven marbled floors -
hundred year standoff

babbling fool -
goldfinch bends the naked branch 
but a hawk circles

blessings fall though we
offer nothing in return -
generous old tree