The third poem published this week by Lothlorien Poetry Journal.

End of Autumn 
 
The small purple asters,  
still blooming,  
bow their heads to late October winds. 
I sit against the old oak. Its leather leaves  
crackle, gossiping about the coming snow.  
Passersby are zipping jackets, pulling hoodies  
tight to cover ears. Though robins have headed  
south, nuthatches and chickadees linger at the feeder,  
even when yearling squirrels shimmy up to fill  
their cheeks and race off toward the pine. Shadows  
are long by four. I’m glad for stew simmering 
in the crockpot and logs stacked for a fire this evening.  
I rise and find a new ache in my bones. The walk home  
feels lonely. My younger days have faded like summer  
warmth, and the ancient north wind beckons.