Autumn Equinox Poems
The Autumn Equinox here in the northern hemisphere is a gateway from summer to autumn, a time of equal dark, equal light with 12 hrs of night and 12 hrs of day.
At this week’s Story Club, my workshop for young writers, we embraced the change of the season through poetry.
I’m always amazed that in just one short session, the group can concoct some beautiful writing. I asked if I could show some poems, scratch-outs and all. I love seeing how poems manifest, and seeing the process in action.
Here is a poem focusing on the weather change, and the joy of running over crunching leaves.
Other poems brought in smells of woodsmoke, sleepy squirrels curled up against the cold, people jumping in piles of leaves.
Leaves were a big hit in this Story Club! So were little creatures such as squirrels. A general feeling of joy was with us when we brought the coming Autumn to mind. But some of us also were in tune with darker images connected with the dramatic change.
The next poem is from Amber who joined us via Zoom. She typed it up and let me know I could share it.
Embracing all feelings of Autumn helps me put down the summer and enter the new season. Both the joy and the loss, the light and the dark, are part of this change of season. I hope the group feels more connected to the coming Autumn. And a big thanks to everyone who shared their poems!
And maybe you are inspired, dear reader, to create an Autumn poem of your own. A tip — go out and see what the trees are doing first. Maybe jump in a pile of leaves, or watch the squirrels collect acorns for awhile.
May you have a beautiful turn of season.
