Leave Of Absence (Poetry)

October leaves come
tumbling down —
the red, the yellow
orange, brown
wild birds that sang
the summer through
have left — flown off
to skies more blue

Strung out along
the rosehip hedge
grey wind-blown wrecks
of spiders’ webs
twist between each
stiffened stem
their weavers gone
deserting them

for cracks in stone
or weathered wood
where rain can’t reach
beneath that hood
frail plants and creatures
go to ground
so spend the dark days
safe and sound

all dreaming when
the seed shall split
and leaves break from
the shell of it
then all brand new
the earth spreads green
and birds come back
from where they’ve been