Autumn Memories
by Sharmagne Leland-St. John

My childhood memories of autumn
The highs and the lows!

Drawing hearts and intertwining
"his" initials with mine
on the inside of the frosty window pane
with frozen fingertips.

The excitement of going to the pumpkin farm
to choose 2 pumpkins...one for me,
one for my sister to carve.

The terror of losing a mitten
which Nanny would consider a cardinal sin
and switch our legs with a fly swatter
for this childish indiscretion.

The sickening smell of wet wool
in the cloakroom at school–

juxtaposed with the scintillating aroma
of smoke from piles of smoldering leaves.

Foraging for periwinkles in the tidepools
that last weekend at the shore.

Those tiny, tasty whelks
with their whorls and wrinkles
soon to be boiled in broth
for a delicious early October dinner.

Sixth grade homework.
The first haiku I ever wrote:

   loud noise awakens
   jackdaw perched on the chimney
    nasty wakeup call



 

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