Gone

I am not sure such glorious October days are best named Indian summer or autumn. The crystal clear blue skies make it easy to forget our troubled world. These last days invite us to play outside  us, rather than tend to the usual list of things that need doing  before the snow comes. This is the time when we Minnesota folks indulge in a bit of denial - as if summer could go on forever. It is the garden that knows its summertime days are over and trees dress in glorious reds, oranges and yellows.

GONE

Butterflies are
more beautiful this fall
maybe it's emergence from
a summer of great overcast
smoggy skies
ominous clouds

but now
after mind-clearing rains
the skies have cleared
at least to the eyes
butterflies dart, flutter, glide
shine in the sun

one swalltail briefly lingers
on patches of
the last phlox by the pond
earlier it searched out
newly emerged profusions of
pink resurrection lilies

then the animated patch of yellow
makes a brief circle survey of
the flower garden before
its vertical ascent

greeting the still blue sky