subtropic autumn

when nature sighs

Subtropic Autumn

cool air on my face
warm sun on my back
trees of soft greens and nuanced greys
clay reds and granite creams 

the subtlety of change 
more a sigh than a season
time taken 
by this nurturing subtropic soul
to strengthen us

to remind us 
the coming wet and dry furnace 
can strip us bare 
of everything we thought mattered
and make us humus again

---

Note Autumn is an important time of year in subtropical Australia. Subtle colours in soft warm light. It is when ‘nature sighs’. Some trees flower like crazy, some trees shed their bark, the birds go wild with delight.

The spirituality of this time is close to the senses. This is a time of renewal, a strengthening , of preparation for hard times. Summer is brutal. The relentless humidity, the relentless heat, the sometimes daily hailstorms, the fires. Summer can take everything from us. Autumn is how we survive.

ian