Blazing Leaves of Autumn

I walk the streets silently, gusts of wind blowing the colourful fallen leaves around my feet. I've always liked Autumn. As the trees fade and slip into states of suspended animation, they go out with a bang, igniting themselves in brilliant shades of red, yellow and orange. For a few short weeks in October, the forests are ablaze before the more unfriendly elements of Autumn tear the leaves away, leaving the trees bare and lifeless. Before long, the leaves that dance in the wind will fade to an ugly shade of brown, the pleasant crispness in the air will turn to a bitter cold and for the next four months everything will fade to shades of grey.

I have come to appreciate Winter. I suppose at some level I identify with it. The quiet melancholy of the season mirrors my mindset and demeanor. People rarely appreciate the season. They find it unforgiving and unpleasant. They do not see the good qualities. With the melancholy comes a peaceful calm that allows time for reflection. It gives us a chance to look at where we have gone, what we have done, and what we want to do. It gives us time to plan. With the good comes the bad. There are days when the wind blows angrily, each frosty gust like a dagger that can pierce through thick layers of clothing as if they are tissue paper and freeze you down to the bone. There are days when the snow falls so thickly that the world seems to disappear, leaving you alone to wonder if you'll ever see the sun again.

Then suddenly the snow clouds are gone and the frosty bite leaves the air. Slowly the snow melts away and everything begins to wake up. The love songs of birds fill the air as they return with the sun.

As I walk into the park, I see many of the trees are naked, their dark grey branches exposed, remaining still and lifeless despite the fact that the day is windy. Dead brown leaves crunch under my feet and get blown into the near by sewer grate. A frosty gust of wind blows open my jacket and leaves me chilled, a harsh reminder that it won't be long until these dead leaves will be covered in a blanket of ice and snow.

Slipping my hands into my pockets, I look to the west, watching the sun slip down behind the trees, painting the clouds shades of pink, gold and purple. The leaves are not the only things that go out with a bang. As the calmness and melancholy of Winter begins to work its way into my psyche, I smile and wave. I bid farewell to the sun and the blazing leaves of Autumn.