Autumn Rising

Summer departs in stops and starts

Soft and low

The summer dies

Shimmering and iridescent

It leaves us

Easing into shadows

On dragonfly wings

The lift and buzz of insistent heat

 

Wavering on the edge

Of uncertain autumn

Advancing and retreating

With reproachful storms

Dropping hints of dry leaves

And late fruit

 

A tinderbox of sultry days

The last tantrum of

Mercury and misty mornings

Scorching our days

Into a blanket of

Sepia and bark

 

In the press of

Humid, clinging velvet

We wait for that

First roll of thunder

Dreaming of the

Click of Jack Frost’s

Heels on a frosted pane

 

-Zoe Richardson (2025)

Author's Note

Autumn lasts for about a week in Alabama. Then it's Christmas, another summer, two weeks of winter, tornadoes, and then it's summer again.

Reviews

[red93]

Superb how you capture the change of Seasons Zoe. The English Winter can be hard and dark - our clocks go back this Weekend. Fabulous use of language and colours. Really Excellent ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

[Christine]

A very descriptive poem about a beautiful time of the year. You make good use of unusual words that fit perfectly. "Wavering on the edge" reveals a lack of enthusiasm for the change ahead, which nevertheless is inevitable and necessary.

[RomaJ]

Zoe, I love how this poem captures the fleeting, restless quality of autumn. The imagery of dragonfly wings and sepia blankets makes the season feel alive and almost impatient, like it can’t decide whether to arrive or retreat. I especially like how the tension between sultry days and the anticipation of frost mirrors that edge between summer and autumn. The poem flows with a gentle, observant rhythm that perfectly reflects the unpredictability of the season. Beautifully done.

[Chris Shaw]

Gorgeous poetic expression and imagery in this piece Zoe. You capture the moods and speed of your autumn beautifully. Ours in the UK lasts for months. A wordsmith you are. Thank you for sharing.

Chris

[Zoe Richardson]

Thank you, dear Chris. I miss having a clear distinct lineation of seasons. Here, nature is like the residents. It takes its own sweet time.

[John the Baptist]

Nicely handled imagery portrays the end of summer in the Deep South. It's somewhat similar in the coastal upper south, where I live. I think, though, that climate change is a part of it. I never sweated this much in October when I was a kid.

[Zoe Richardson]

You must have more humidity than we have at present. Which is unusual because normally our humidity reaches terminal velocity. I love these brief cold spells, though, even if nature strolls along, taking its own sweet time.

[Kady R.]

Hiii Zoeee!!!

What a picturesque poem here. I love the transitions you write between summer to fall and then to winter.

Woooww only a week of autumn??!! I didn't realize the weather in Alabama was primarily summer.

Kady

[Zoe Richardson]

We have about twelve different summers, so other seasons have to work around them. We also have tornado season, pollen season, football season, and curse of the mosquitos.

[Kady R.]

Thanks for the insight!! Mosquitoes are the worste!!