falling leaves
we dive into
color

homecoming bonfire
blazing bright
first kiss

homecoming night
your sweater
breaks the wind

autumn rain
I wait for him
to offer his jacket

top quarter champion

top half champion

bottom quarter champion

autumn sky
touches my soul
where he cannot

skipping stones
our pristine reflection
shattered

willow’s dance
like the secrets
spoken within our eyes

wise willow creaks
grandma
spins her tale

top half champion

champion

bottom half champion

Queen bee,
many companions, all drones,
casually watching—
she spirals away

my crown
smaller than hers
runner-up

green of the field
catching my eye
he starts the play

our alma mater
drifts through the stands
as the king and queen pass

top quarter champion

bottom half champion

bottom quarter champion

pep band strikes up
her dead son
returns home . . .

fall break
i match my mother’s steps
roasted apples

October sky
I claim a star
as ours

shimmering dresses
dirt mound hips
sway home beneath stars