Fall Cleaning

The wind woke me during the middle of the night, and continues to howl this morning. The hardwoods have been subjected to a shakedown, but any thoughts of raking will have to wait.



Fall Cleaning


The wind cleaned house last night and stripped the trees
Of defiant leaves snubbing autumn's bite.
The tenor's changed, gone is the gentle breeze.

Buffeting bass and concertina wheeze
Found the pitch and played the rafters right.
The wind cleaned house last night and stripped the trees.

Scrubbed them, rubbed them with rain ready to freeze.
Scoured the streets, polished them bright.
The tenor's changed, gone is the gentle breeze

Of Indian summer along with the melodies
Of robins and warblers singing daylight.
The wind cleaned house last night and stripped the trees.

Forced the move of reluctant chick-a-dees,
Tore down makeshift nests in a fit of spite.
The tenor's changed, gone is the gentle breeze.

Arctic blasts blew in with icicle keys,
Unlocked the box holding winter's birthright.
The wind cleaned house last night and stripped the trees,
The tenor's changed, gone is the gentle breeze.



Marilyn Aschoff Mellor