AUTUMN

I once walked a dirt road,

A road quite traveled there,

From here to nowhere.

Dirt? Yes, quite dusty,

But with canopy of gold,

Autumn everywhere.

So pleasant and serene,

Bright crisp beautiful,

This season,

Fall’s beauty mesmerizing,

Tempting me to stay,

Here forever today,

With no real reason

To warn me,

“Your Winter’s on its way!”

It started from I know not where,

That road, that dusty road,

It’s end, nowhere in sight,

I traipsed it barefoot

With bibs,

And a ball cap to boot,

Following what’s right!

I came upon no one,

No one came upon me.

I walked that dirt road,

Alone in the fall sun,

In the footsteps of Thee.

My journey was long.

Along, thirsting for Thee,

The road turned to dust,

And so did Me.

So remember person,

Though dusty it may be,

Follow your road,

Savor the seasons,

Take in the Autumn Tree,

And dusty dirt road sand,

From Autumn to Winter reason.

For sooner than not,

That dirt dusty Autumn road,

You see,

Will lead you, begrudgingly,

With reason,

To your last season,

The end of your journey.

That dusty road

Will lead you to Eternity!

So keep on trudging.

Author’s Notes: in this photo poem, the author is speaking to you the reader. I’s almost a conversation, but only if you engage him. From whence does the author speak, on what timeline? From where? What does the poem mean.

Keep on trudging. From whence did the traveler come? Where does the dusty road lead? Why is the road dusty/sneezy? Could it represent life’s challenges? Why Autumn? What is the symbolism of gorgeous trees along a dirt road journey. Isn’t the world around us, family and friends and nature, a thing of beauty? Life’s not always easy. What does Winter represent. What part of life is Autumn. Do we know when our Autumn is? Do you know when your Autumn season will come? Your Winter? The dust to dust journey puts the journey into perspective; for from dust we are, to dust we go. Go where? And at what time? And is it dusty there?

Lordy, the poem made me thirsty, parched. For what? Perhaps for some sweet tea, or coke for me, Jack and Jim on the porch. Is the beauty there, part of the dust here? Is it the golden color of our existence, by which we are enticed along our ultimate pathway - hopefully in His footsteps, hopefully to be quenched at journey’s end. Amen.

Poetic Hints: When writing your poetry, rhyming or close rhyming is good. A poem, even prose/poetry, can have flow and rhythum without always rhyming. My style is rhyme and rythum. Sometimes rhymes are together, other times spread apart or sometimes the rhyming rythum is mid-line, sometimes no rhyme for a reason. Rhyme is fine; rhythm is divine. Look for it. Look also for a mispeled word; don’t fret over it, enjoy it’s intention. Commas, and line shape and poem shape carry meaning. i’m also a photog and for me, a photo sets the stage and adds to the meaning to a poem.

Use afterthoughts, take the mind, the soul where the body can’t go. Dare to make up words, use a dash of smell, taste, engage the senses as much as the mind. Let the soul speak. Use color, shape and form. Try writing poetic prose. I just love lines and rows of poetic/prose. Write a poem that doesn’t rhyme. Don’t be wordy. I think less is often more. It opens the creative mind’s door. Poetry put to music is song. And vice-versa. Take the reader along, to a never seen place. Death fate are the poet’s classic choices. but please make the reader happy, smile, laugh, love, live and celebrate! For poetry and serendipity, seeing things from a different light, are the spice of life. And tell the poet thank you.

Come on now, give it a try. Send me a poem you want shared and published.

tom tenbrunsel

Poet Laureate of My Existence