It Is Surely Late August - Sam Doctors

[Larry Robinson]

It Is Surely Late August

It is surely late August and –
The leaves on the seedless concord grapevines
turned a bright yellow and lurid magenta
almost over night, or so it seems,
all grapes long since eaten one by one
by my daughter each day till only a few green stems remain.
A few leaves on the plum trees have turned bright yellow,
again it seems just over night and are ready to leave their perch,
the anise stalks have long since turned a dusty brown
with yellow seed heads full formed with seeds to fly here and there
on the first strong afternoon gusts.
The hills long since turned brown or golden
depending on preference or ideology.
and now crown of thorns are everywhere,
making progress across desiccated fields all too painful,
Flocks of Canada Geese pass loudly, heading south
each night and each day in more or less perfect ‘v’s
in formations of six, or eight or twelve.
The nights are just a bit colder,
these later summer days a bit less warm,
yet I know there will still be warm spells,
the strong heat of summer not relaxing its grip all at once
and there will be days to keep the fans turning all day,
keeping doors and windows tight shut
after the morning has advanced but a little.
Yet signs of autumn are to be heard and seen and felt -
only stand and listen,
only stand and see,
only stand and taste the breeze.

	- Sam Doctors