AUTUMN
The leaves are falling, falling as from far,
as though above were withering farthest gardens;
they fall with a denying attitude.
And night by night, down into solitude,
the heavy earth falls far from every star.
We are all falling. This hand’s falling too —
all have this falling-sickness none withstands.
And yet there’s One whose gently-holding hands
this universal falling can’t fall through.
~Rainer Maria Rilke
Searching Like October
October walked in calmly
Searching for its own
Leaves had barely fallen
Hidden veins – throbbing
Underneath the slight breeze
When winds blew harder
Trees turned white
Calling upward, shaking in
Questionable terror
The mistral uproots
Exposes shallows
Crashes mighty hardwoods
Blocking access—
The squall of you
Maybe even now
You will walk
In that leaf-studded trail
And surprise me –
Rays shining through leaves.
Yet when the tornadic arrives
They all search
For their own
Like October
A leaf clings
Tethered to branch
Fighting against gales of life,
Careless winds,
Dying in gutter,
Trampling,
Disintegrating,
Aimless wandering,
Hopeless meandering
Seeking belonging
Seeking safety
Clutching truth
Roots grounded
Held in powerful hands
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©Prasanta 10/11/16
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