Short Measure

The hummingbird has lingered.
A rhododendron blooms.
But each night autumn’s chilly dreams
Stalk through our bedrooms.

The sky is gray and blank,
Then eloquent with sun.
The mood keeps shifting on the street
From “Do Not Walk!” to “Run!”

It’s lonely as the planet
Passes the summer on.
Is there a place in outer space
To see where it has gone?

The leaves that mask the distance
Beyond the city’s trees
Have felt the change of heartwood that
Will bring them to our knees.

The baby in her crib
Watches the aspens quake.
We watch her as she watches them
And know our hearts will break.