like whispers from the shadowy corners of the past
an old song on the radio
yet the frequency is different
and doesn’t come in as clearly
– sometimes

oh, October October,
from the first
to the last
of deaths and loss
and promises broken
and childhoods
that cannot be denied
came that September day
smashing and crashing
as he finally turned
and stared it all right in the eyes
and the leaves still turned
and fell, even so,
littering the ground with a cloak of many colours
as the trees revealed their nakedness
while reaching towards the sky, in prayer,
a promise
– we will return.

a time to see
feel
hear
what still needs doing
shall be done
before the darkest of winter
smothers the landscape
making a bed just right for
depression and sadness
to linger on

i regret you
i dread you
but i will always love you, even so