It used to be my favorite season until the last couple of summers. We here in Oregon have suffered unusually high sustained temperatures with our wildlands burning. It’s been tough on the psyche on many levels. Autumn is my new best friend.
Oregon Summer 2017
The summer left Oregon in haste
Like an old friend that paid a visit
Then had a falling out
The rains of autumn quickly came to take her place
Quenching the land’s thirst with violent downpours
The summer had betrayed us
Bringing unrelenting heat and drought
Thousands of acres of parched forests burned with such intensity
It filled the hot air for days with acrid smoke
Staining the sky, stinging our eyes, making us cough
We longed for the familiar temperate comfort of the season
In a gentle land
Safe from extremes, full of verdant beauty
But now our ramparts have been breached and we are unsure
As we wade through this occupation of climate extremes
The summer left in a hurry
Maybe to gather strength for next year?
Whatever the reason
As the leaves tinge with orange and yellow
Our relief is palpable as we wake with the morning’s new chill
We welcome the prelude to winter’s coming
By Alanna Pass 