"A Farewell To Summer"

It happens this time every year

And now it’s happening once more

The day I say a sad “Goodbye”

To summer slipping out the door

I ache inside to see it go

While writing this I almost cried

You ask me why it means so much

The answer: simply look outside

Magnificence from wall to wall

The warming sun the sky bright blue

The air is sweet the breeze is light

The strollers smile the birds sing too

The kids can play outside till late

The days are long as long can be

Illusions of extended life

Imagined immortality

Inevitably fall arrives

The leaves turn gold that once were green

It’s hard to fault a time of year

That dresses up like Halloween

The energizing primal pace

The bracing nip autumnal smells

It’s not the season I dislike

It’s everything that fall foretells.

The Arctic gusts the chill that burns

The ink-black skies the locks that froze

The icy stairs endangering hips

The loss of feeling in my toes

Beyond the seasonal distress

For me the wintertime’s the worst

On December the Thirtieth my father died

My Mom, on January First.

It’s crazy stupid wrong it’s dumb

It makes no sense bypasses reason

But putting elements aside

I hate that unforgiving season

It’s true a season’s in between

It’s premature to feel dismay

But signs will surely soon arrive

Their message: Winter’s on its way

Though gratitude’s the proper stance

For summer’s recent splendid show

Where “Thank you” is the thing to say

A wrenching voice intones.

“Don’t go.”