AUTUMN: Theme and Variations

Theme:
"A Traveler's Meditation" (Amphion)

God's handiwork is all around:
Bright red leaves,
wheat in sheaves,
Fertile farms where flocks abound;
Shaded cows
chew and drowse;
Mountains' multi-colored dress;
Thunderclouds
draped in shrouds:
God's bounteous works are limitless.
~~

Variation I

"Highway 23 in Autumn" (Neville)

God's handiwork is all around:

in scarlet, yellow leaves

and golden wheat in sheaves.

Sun-burnished pasturelands abound;

leafy groves shading cows

that switch and chew and drowse.

God's goodness--in all life--profound.

~~

Variation II

"Autumn Song" (Pantoum)

God's handiwork is all around,

Magenta, scarlet, yellow leaves;

Sun-burnished pasturelands abound,

Cut, ripened wheat stands bronzed in sheaves.

Magenta, scarlet, yellow leaves,

Umbrella groves of sassafras,

Cut, ripened wheat stands bronzed in sheaves--

a visual banquet unsurpassed.

Umbrella groves of sassafras,

a camouflage for brindle cows,

(a visual banquet unsurpassed)

which nonchalantly chew and drowse.

Like Garland's fresh-shaved stubble, gold,

sun-burnished pasturelands abound,

and I sing with the oriole,

"God's handiwork is all around."

~~

Variation III

"An Autumn Minute" (Minute)

The autumn beauty's everywhere--

in fragrant air,

magenta leaves,

bronzed wheat in sheaves.

Sun-burnished pastures stubbled gold,

lone oriole,

umbrellaed groves

--bovine alcoves--

a visual banquet unsurpassed,

a rich repast.

All senses share

fall/s love affair.

~~

PL - from Variations - published 1994

MORE FOUND POEMS

"Where in this state?"

In Arco Times, 'bout every week,
they let us peek
at some place rare.
'Guess where! Guess where!'
This week's a stony creek bank scene:
a big rock--queen
of shoreline. Round--
an ancient mound?
I'll take a guess: old Cripple Creek.
There's fish to seek.
Or bring a chair,
enjoy the air.

[a Minute pattern, PL 8. 3. '13, from an Arkansas Times picture]
~~

"89 Years Straight, then . . . . "

war, scandal, earthquake
couldn't stop the World Series
but players' strike did

[PL, Senryu form, from the news, 9. 15. '04]
~~

"Also Gauguin"

"One hell
of a haul," he
said, describing an art
heist of Picasso, Matisse and
Monet.

[PL, Cinquain, from the news, 10. 12. '12]
~~

"Keep it Down Out There!"
or"Can't a Fellow get Some Sleep Around Here?"

Sticking
it's head out from
inside the bird feeder,
a raccoon glares at the feeding
nuthatch.

[PL, from Birds 'N Blooms photo, O/N, '03,
written 10. 15. '03]
~~

A SECRET

As I slipped through the pantry door,
you stood before
me, face to face:
a quick embrace,
a smile. You whispered, "Patience now;
someday, somehow. . . ."
Despite the risk,
we dared to kiss.
Then, passing to the drawing room,
I left the bloom
of love behind
for none to find.
~~
PL, from delicious fatigue, 1992