Carpets of Brown Leaves

Carpets of brown leaves
Lie in the afternoon calm
Flecked by soft sunlight.









Silken milkweed seeds
Float under the blue mailbox
Straining to take off.

Their backs rimmed with sun
Three goats graze in the twilight;
One of them looks up.

Late afternoon sun
Filters through the light green leaves
And makes not a sound.










Lying on the ground
Curled desiccated brown leaf--
Its shadow is longer.









The bend of the road:
Blur of golden glowing leaves;
Tribute to the sun.

Flashes of sunlight
Illuminate the red leaves--
Shadows in shadows.

There's my old pooch friend
Sleeping near his empty house.
Oh! It's just a rock.






After all these years
Broken window in the house
Empty forever.









Black and white flutters
In the red berry bushes--
Chubby nervous birds.









Ghostly white berries
Sway against dark russet leaves--
Color paucity.

Autumn Hide and Seek

Moisture on the leaves;
Sunlight on the shiny road--
Shifting September day.









Bright vermilion leaves
Lie with a grass canopy
On a dark brown bed.

Falling from the sky
Leaf is trapped in tiny blooms;
Temporary rest.

Leaves are floating down
They make no sound as they fall;
Rain patters in woods.

Sunlight patch ahead--
Grass glows like a green beacon,
Then slowly grows dim.

Peekaboo sunlight;
Peekaboo gray cloud cover:
Autumn hide and seek.












Brown leaves in white shroud
Hang suspended in the tree--
Thousand silent mouths.












Twisting around wire
Poison ivy grows higher--
Green and rusted brown.

Short Break

When my grand daughter, Lucy, was born almost five years ago I swore that there would be no more than three months separating us. At the time, she, her mom and dad, lived in Seattle. I was true to my word. Either I was there or they were here and every autumn I spent a month there. Now, they have moved to New Haven, Connecticut. It's a lot closer but I still will spend a month there. So, until October 12, I will be away from Yerry Hill Road. I do hope to put some haiku on my site, Haiku To You (http://haikutoyouto.blogspot.com/) See you in a month.

Gray Sky, No Shadows

Gray sky, no shadows;
Car races along the road
Fleeing from darkness.

Some shriveled brown husks
Still stand, spreading its their leaves
As if they're alive.












Lichen glows today
Picking up light from the gray--
Dim phosphorescence.

Two balls on the lawn
Face each other silently.
Who'll be picked up first?









Woods are soft and dark;
Even dim colors stand out
Like yellowing leaves.

A single acorn
Lies on the hard road's surface,
Not to penetrate.

The monster stump waits
Poised for unsuspecting prey:
Leaves or stray snow flakes.

Crows shout in the woods,
Voices insistent and hoarse
From screaming too much.

Black eyed Susans bloom
In front of unrented house--
Their own tenancy.

My steps on the road;
Humming of the transformer;
Bleating of the goat.












Road into the woods
Patched with shadows and sunlight.
Who cares where it goes?

Deep bellowing cow
Sings out in baritone.
Soprano birds chirp.











Translucent berries
Glowing red in the sunlight.
Fairy tale danger.

A white plastic shroud
On a grave of forest leaves
Encloses thrown trash.

Tall goldenrod bows
Picking up the slightest breeze
To pay its respects.









Bright green forest patch--
A million tiny plants grow;
Their own universe.

Silhouetted stump--
Darkened statue in the woods
Absorbs the sunlight.

A bug and its shadow
Skitters quick across the road--
A double monster.

Leaf Shadows Flutter

Dead squirrel on the road,
Head one way, body another--
Frozen choicelessness.










Crisp and clear morning,
Puff white clouds over the trees.
Cricket in the field.









Bright yellow centers
In the tiny white flowers
Catch me walking by.

A soft hammering:
Carpenter works on porch
Urging the nails in.

Cascading briar
Pours over the wooden fence;
It will have its way.












Tall tree tops rustle
As a small wind shudders them.
Leaf shadows flutter.









Pointing to shadows
A dead leaf lies in the sun,
Motionless for now.

Things muted today:
Even the gun shots seem soft;
Engine purrs on hill.

Three women in field
Sitting, painting and drawing.
Themselves scenery.

The chair and the goat:
Chair is empty, so is goat.
Goat takes care of it.

The dogs have started;
They just can't seem to shut up.
Must be a syndrome.









Spider web in field
Catches sun and drops of water.
Where will it put them?

Gnarled tree bends over;
Is it the three mailboxes
Pulling it to earth?

Behind some tall flowers
Small pink bicycle is parked;
Its owner at school.












Single leaf falling
Shaken by the gentle breeze;
Avalanche to come.

Deep inside the woods
A rifle booms out again
Shattering silence.












Layers on layers
Fungus settles in the tree--
Natural sculpture.

Round and bristly
Some patient clusters of burrs
Wait for some fur.

Passing to Silence

The road is shiny;
Sky is a gray blue carpet;
Morning after rain.

Plane above the clouds
Mildly roaring, invisibly,
Passing to silence.









Glistening green leaves;
Loud swarms of happy insects;
Promise of more rain.









Everything's greener;
The dark forest is lit up.
Leaves tremble slightly.

Protruding erect,
Branch sticks out from the tree's crotch.
Which imitates what?









Drawn by warm moisture
Red efts are crossing the road.
It's always dangerous.









Flicker of rain drops
Patter down from the shaking leaves.
A mini shower.

I'm helping red efts,
Lifting them across the road.
One small step for man.

Bright shiny droplets
Clinging to the spider web
Reflect the pale sky.

There's No Conflict Here

Sharp shadows, soft breeze;
Gentle light on orange leaves.
Hens keep on clucking.

Rounding the curve--
Strong breeze caresses my face;
The goats stare at me.








Invisible dog
Follows me along the fence
Barking all the way.

Fungus and dead leaves
Together in the tree's crotch.
There's no conflict here.












White blossoms bursting
As if it's springtime again.
What is going on?









The cat is alone;
Two dogs and the car are gone.
She is mistress now.

More leaves on the road;
It's a very slow process--
The advent of Fall.

A cheerful buzzing;
Nearby saw is cutting wood.
Butterfly flicks past.