Enter Autumn Poem by Mary Champion

At first, Autumn whispers softly,
smiling warmly,
teasing us with clear blue skies and balmy days.
Then the wind dances freely
between fearsome gales
and gentle breezes.
Temperatures decline
and the mood darkens
as cumulonimbus clouds
release their payload.
Rough shards of rain spatter like pebble-dash
against the windowpanes,
thumping angrily on the pavement.
This is when Autumn is full of menace,
felling trees to
thunderous applause that rocks the skies
with gleaming lightning flashes.
Threatening rivers rise,
then mornings dawn dankly
exhaling a shroud of fog
across the land.
Fallen chestnuts open up
auditioning for battle.
Winter edges closer
as autumn stamps its authority.
Orange and crimson leaves cascade,
collecting on the pavements.
Squirrels make final preparations for winter,
harvesting the acorns nestled amidst the rustic carpet.