All my life I’ve been heading north

It’s what I’ve always been told to do

To climb corporate ladders

Supposedly at the top the sky is blue

To discuss sophisticated matters

But last night I found delight in a more yellowy hue

Fall finally came

And my body birthed something new

Leaves littered the backyard

I’m not sure who to blame

I finally put a sweater on

Wrapped her underneath

Went out the back door (nevermind all the dirty shoes and the summertime wreathe)

Outside it was coolish-warm

And the giant pine out back swayed

The sunlight caused many leaves of the bushes and trees to dazzle

For some reason, the sight made me mourn

I admired the crows, weightless

The buzzards high above, the finches, the robins, the hawk

All in a battle

My 8-year-old Golden retriever joined us

Dogs are a must

His coat glittered like the leaves

As that golden sunset in the backyard illuminated everything

I noticed a million trunk-like vines

Climbing north along the pine

My dog and I went south as did the sun

But I didn’t sit on an Adirondack or rocker

Nah, I just plopped down on the gray steps

With her – a part of the generation that’s next

I watched the leaves in the wind play soccer

Vowed to do my best

I laid a loving hand on my Golden retriever

He’s getting old like me

And the cosmos is eager

To reclaim everything

We sat and listened to the birds

I glanced at my wedding ring

Even it sparkled

That pine, the original aviators, the sun, my kid, my Golden

I realized I can’t keep anything I’m holdin’

We are falling leaves

For a moment shining

Lustrous like a Golden’s coat

A back porch sunset gets my vote

We stayed south last night on the steps

Till it got cold and dark and we could all see our breath