Faint smoke rose from chimney tops
and melancholy leaves floated by —
lifeless yet full of life,
still yet animated
Fall’s cold had opened the gates to an early winter
Indifferent, the sun made a grand entrance
unobstructed by clouds
In the spots free of shades
the warmth was a whisper of a departed summer
Chilling air penetrated deep into the head,
past the eyes and brain
Refreshing the back of the neck
until it permeated the entire body
There is no difference
between the cold outside and the cold within
The sun continues to shine
and the within and without join it
It all drifts away
riding on faint smoke and browned leaves
the facts of us 