Fall sunshine bleaches
purple fountain grass to golden
as the first heavy glistening flakes
begin to cover with layers of snow
creating a silky smooth icing,
like ganache frosting
on a wedding cake,
sealing raised organic beds
gone dormant.
Delighted to have the
long-coveted purple fountain grass
planted on a sweaty fall day,
today’s surprise reveals tall
golden mounds covered with snow
like a row of hobbit huts built along
the very edge of the lawn,
providing refuge for hungry birds
seeking safety and shelter
in the quickly passing snow squall.
Crisp, rusty oak leaves
filter down from the highest treetops
resting askew, atop the frosty white covering
until warm sunshine bakes them down,
just below the flat surface of
yesterday’s snowfall where
a blustery wind blows them away,
leaving only an imprint of fall.
Swan Island in the Kennebec -- 