Hey! Come See the Light

Hey! Come see the light shift through yellow maple leaves

gracing the porch with dappled shadow.

Everything past the bird feeder is red,

orange red, deep red, red-red.

The pond greeny black.

The pear tree waits till all the other trees are bare.

Then, and only then,

the leaves become deep, unfaltering claret.

Finally deserting the branches,

they fill the recently cleaned gutters.

Titmice and chickadees and that other little bird

take turns at the feeder

after the doves,

and bluejays finish

and fly off.