Fall Gloom

Diminished daylight hours where
overnight temperature plunges to
frost territory and the moist grey
density of morning fog deliver the
inevitable message leading the forest
to respond in its time-honoured
way, absorbing the yellowed foliage
of plants and stems, closing up shop,
alerting the forest canopy of
deciduous trees that departure
time has arrived on cue. Migrating
songbirds make their brief stopovers
soon to share the night sky on
darkly dense cloud covers with
southward-hurtling geese and
waterfowl escaping the great chill
in their programmed annual journey
leaving the sere woods and lakes
no longer haven in a wintry world.