A Fall Day In North Country Poem by Bill Galvin

I’ve been driving north from rainy Massachusetts,
Into New Hampshire, along its border with Maine.
I outpace the showers, then, they find me again;
But, not before I gaze upon near-peak coloration
In the lower hills of the White Mountains,
Within the Ossipee Lakes Region.

In a gray-white sky, the dark, bluish-gray silhouette
Of Mount Chocorua stands tall like a signpost,
Pointing the way to the bigger Whites a few miles north.
“Hello, old Friend, ” I say. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?
A few years, since we passed your way to reunite
With family for annual summer times in the mountains.
Been a while since I’ve seen your reflection
In that serene lake at your base.”
Even longer, since I camped with my two young sons,
Aged 5 and 7, upon its shoulders half way up;
Before we climbed its rugged, stony, summit;
The early 70s… my, my… how fast time does fly.

My combined business/pleasure trip
Takes me across the border to Western Maine;
To the towns along the Saco River.
The river flows gently toward the sea, silent here,
With colorful leaves floating in the current
Being the only sign that the water is even moving.

Farmer’s pumpkin patches still have some color,
As those squash not worthy of the market
Still lie in the orange rows that they grew up in.

Ponds and lakes are placid under the gray skies;
But enough light is supplied to reflect foliage color
Along their tree-lined shores.
One beauteous pond scene is put into quiet motion,
When its surface is dappled by pea-sized raindrops,
Causing round ripples to circle outward,
Each spaced, so as not to reach another before fading.

I spot some blue sky nearby,
And I know these leaves await the sun’s shine
To set their yellow and red colors ablaze.

A lone red maple leaf drifts gently to my windshield,
Like a modest, unassuming, loving kiss on my cheek.

10-13-2015 (Androscoggin River, Auburn, ME)