Autumn Colours (2)

We emerged in spring proud to wear our

psychedelic green, we fluttered in May’s

breeze doing our duty providing sustenance  

for our trees. In Sun and rain we darkened

and faded, by August our appearance, waxy and

jaded. So many of us pocked or perforated

by insect jaw, and others just disappeared.

In shortening days those lost, no longer replaced.

Soon enough our time was up and our supplies were

cut. Now we have our last task to perform, provide

a store against Winter’s storm, but we’ll not go

 without a show to celebrate a job well done.

We don our final gowns; gold and ochre, scarlet

and garnet and homely browns. Now we wait

for frost and wind to carry us to our resting place.

Below the ground lightless life begins to stir, sensing

reproduction in the air. Ghostly filaments form

fruits to grace meadow, lawn and forest floor with

umbrellas: pied red, royal blue, yellow sulphur or

deathly white. They go as fast as they arrived

their message sent far and wide. Beneath the litter

compressed by snow, fine silky threads dissolve

tree's dead wings to gift again, spring’s green show.