Autumn.
A mixed bag for a forest ranger.
Clouds floating over
a periwinkle sky,
no clue they offer
of the danger nearby.
Nature’s golden-green pallet spread
across a pine-needle floor, makes a bed
under trees wrapped in vines of ivy,
touching the sky.
Sensing the air, dusty and dry,
gumboots heavy,
lifeless leaves beat
into the clay beneath his feet.
Ignoring the smoldering stench.
His focus today is to quench
flickering flames, before
they reach a weathered door.
Nice slice-of-nature piece – I love the shift in tone from enjoying nature to sense of foreboding. Very nice poem.
Forgive the delay in response. Thank you for your comment. Sometimes I wonder if I’ve overdone something.
If not for ‘danger nearby’ it woul have just been another beautiful autumn day. And I love your use of imagery’ trees wrapped in vines of ivy’ I can just see it. Bravo.
Thank you, Ngozi!
I love how this builds towards that fabulous last stanza:
“His focus today is to quench
flickering flames before
they reach a weathered door.”
Thanks, Caitlin! Getting great feedback on this one.
The imagery here is stunning, paints an intense picture. Love these lines, ‘Across a pine-needle floor makes a bed under trees wrapped in vines of ivy,touching the sky.Sensing the air, dusty and dry,gumboots heavy,
lifeless leaves beat.’ Gorgeous!
Thank you so much!
The last line gives me the sense that the ranger has to save himself now and that he is tired and a bit worn-out. I am not sure if you intended that but once a poem is on paper, it has a life of its own – this one with its many subtilties is no exception. Good job.
You got it!! Thank you, Robbie!