The sun sets behind gauzy
clouds, bathing the sky
in pastels and splashing
orange on leaves that
haven’t turned yet because
it’s early Ohio October
and green still masks the
richer colors underneath.
But if I stand quietly
on my back steps and
let the air tickle my skin,
I can feel, just beneath
the warmth, a whisper of
chill, raising goosebumps,
pinprick reminders of summer’s
too-quick passing.
Terri Paul is an award-winning poet and novelist Glass Hearts (Academy Chicago, 1999, 2012). Her poems have appeared POETICA, TROUVAILLE REVIEW, and AURORA POETRY, among others. She has received the Friends of American Writers, Ohioana, and WRITERS DIGEST awards. Please visit the https://www.terri-paul.com for a complete list of her work.
