Pretty sure its not your attitude but the way
you cross your arms that makes the crows
fly from the dead hickory and the old carp
rise to the surface of the oil glazed water. Not
a pretty picture and not too satisfying when
the gnarled pine needles sharpen and the asters
dodge the wind. So sudden the seasons
change and your scars are tattooed
across the autumn horizon, not willowy
but weary as the old oak muttering to the sparrows
about the vagaries of the north wind. What on earth
could this mood foretell? Wishing wells and copper
pennies could do no harm as the cross eyed cat
walks a fine line and drifts across the scorched red
maple leaves and into the yellowing wood.
thecourseofourseasons 
I LOVE the images you’ve used to capture the season. Especially fond of:
“not willowy
but weary as the old oak muttering to the sparrows
about the vagaries of the north wind”
A wonderfully woven poem.
love the voice and weave of this ~
Kathleen, I love the way you wove the seasons/moods of nature together with the moods of people. Which impacts the other or is it impossible to tell. I’ve read the poem several times and sometimes I get a somewhat ominous feeling; other times a sadness at the changing of the seasons. Either way, so well-penned.
janet
Nice conversational tone to this one… and I think we’ve all known moods like that. Us affecting nature or nature affecting us, it’s unclear…
its an interesting mood you created as well…you really use the season and what is going on around you to set that mood…the cross eyed cat…smiles…on come the season….
this is fabulous… those opening lines are just stellar, I could see it as well as if you’d made a film. love, love, love it.
Metaphoric mood changes and fall, signs and changes.
Whoah! My ex wife had moods that affect Mother Nature’s entirety also…. I don’t suppose you intended this to be spooky but I just got a chill…
Some beautiful images contained within your words Kathleen, so very well done.
Wow. You get the coins–I’m going inside to light a candle! Whentrees glower and things turn over and cats walk s thin line–I duck and cover!!
This gives me a nostalgic feel of the way the approach of autumn used to feel to me.. an emotional intent.. that comes with coloring to browning leaves.. and darker days…
Ahh.. so many lives in one life.. so many experiences.. what a delight life is..
dark and light.. mixed.. and nostalgic words.. do come again..:)and fall and spring…
I can feel the mood in nature shift as the leaves fall off the trees and the colorful splendor has now drifted away. That north wind will soon blow and I for one am not ready for winter.
This poem definitely captured autumn, so much so that I’m not sure if I miss it.
Oh, the change of seasons is so very hard for me….and having that north wind blowing is not refreshing in the least. Sigh. I feel this poem, Kathleen.
I recognize the mood your poem conveys. The glory of autumn is almost behind us and we know the coming days will feel long and dreary. A very evocative poem, Kathleen.
there’s a sense of foreboding and a hint of darkness to come ~ maybe the weary old oak knows ~ i love the autumnal scenes ~
wow! i love this poem, the way it meanders effortlessly and with beautifully bittersweet images through the season change – moody, yes
Crossed arms, the cross eyed cat, the crossing (changing)season…wonderful imagery. Thank you.
There’s just some great images here (and the love the consequences of crossed arms). A wonderful read 🙂
Groovy piece. Love the image of the crow flying and the carp rising.
This piece is a corker, K., just spectacular, like a harbinger of Winter’s upcoming ravages. Every line is epic, strong, enigmatic; like others I slip this one into my Fave folder. Like the lines /the way/you cross your arms that makes the crows/fly from the dead hickory/.
I LOVE this! Especially “your scars are tattooed across the autumn horizon, not willowy
but weary as the old oak muttering to the sparrows”. Brilliant! One of my faves, too.
A very well done poem. >KB
What a wonderful imagery of autumn in your words.. love the images and the way animals and growth all interact into that fall.
oh there are def. those moods – in nature and in human nature…. storm season… good when the clouds lift and the sun shines again…
“not willowy
but weary as the old oak muttering to the sparrows
about the vagaries of the north wind.”
Kathleen i love these lines… you’ve brought to life the change of season… and made me smile
I enjoyed this poem, with the events of nature and the nature of man twining throughout.
Hi. This is one of my favorite poems … I like the detailed description of what’s going on in the background … fits somehow with the underlying mood and problem. Very well done! Jane