>>> Item number 40057 from WRITERS LOG9411A --- (57 records) ----- <<< Date: Fri, 4 Nov 1994 07:00:03 EST Reply-To: WRITERS Sender: WRITERS From: a couple of words' worth? Subject: SUB: A Fall Morning just a little sketch... comments welcome! tink -+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+= A Fall Morning Copyright 1994 Mike Barker In October, walking across a poet's bridge with the sun rising over historic Boston and glinting off the mirror-surfaced slab of the Prudential tower, I noticed that someone had spilled the paints. Golds, browns, umbers, charcoals; reds, oranges, and yellows; colors and shades mixed and blended by the master hand of nature alone; even a few scattered splotches of green; and, underlying all, the dark brown and black sketches of trunks and branches. The colors decorating the trees reflected shards of their fall brightness in the river, softening the steelish gray blue flowing from the morning skies. The fall colors scattered notes of their own gaudy painting--casually blown, light and drifting, like shards of dreams--coating and cheering empty picnic spots and dull jammed roads under the morning sun. Around me, walkers, runners, bicycles all seemed blind to the annual show. Heads were down, lips pouted, and scowls showed the concentration on getting to work. They might look around on the weekend, but now it was time to go to work. Then an in-line skater pulled off the walk and bent over the parapet. He held onto the wall and stared at the spilled paints of autumn. I could see a tiny reflection of the fall burnt skyline in his eyes, as his lips pulled back, teeth smiling at the awesome beauty. He noticed me watching him, and started to turn away, face collapsing into daily grim. I inhaled the colors shouting across the city, grinned, and said, "Gorgeous, isn't it?" His smile flared again, and fall was glory around us. Then he waved and raced away with a smile. I waved and I went on my way, too. But the crisp October air felt warm that morning, and autumn glowed. -+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=-+=