The End Of The Season

Five Photos. Five Stories. Day 5

Thank you Calen at Impromptu Promptlings for nominating me for this fun challenge. For anyone who hasn’t seen Calen’s lovely inspiring site, I recommend that you check it out now.

the leaves are an emerald mural
etched across the sky
a fresh pinch of air pricks the nose
and imparts a thrilling discomfort
giving a single clue
that summer has finished

the finest wild harvest of the year
will soon detach
from the sweet chestnut trees
their chubby-fingered leaves
will crisp and curl
to make a rustling brown game
for children to kick through
but I will not be here to see it

I hear the hoot
of the steam train
as it draws near
hidden from sight
by the bulk of Wild Boar Wood

as it enters the clearing
I wave for one final time
but the season is ended
and the train is empty
except for the engineer and fireman.
the fireman returns my wave
in his regular friendly way

I watch the thick white steam
as it teems from the chimney,
a widening column that thins to grey
and then disappears gradually
long before the train is distanced
into silence

I walk the woodland paths,
running lightly down the stairway I built
as I recall the weight
of each rough timber I placed
so that our guests may climb the hill in safety.

I nod
my silent farewells
to the boggy pit below
and to my fairy glen,
so recently vacated
by those cheery winged figures

I stand with my hand on the car door
facing the the woodland
gazing through the trees,
memorising the scene
that this welcoming vision
may warm me through the winter

next spring
the bluebells
will splash their bright petals
across the wild floor,
the hazel and birch
and their mighty friends
will uncurl fresh baby hands
in sun worship.
the brambles
will redouble their efforts
to smother the tents
and I will return

© Jane Paterson Basil

The Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge rules require you to post a photo each day for five consecutive days and attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction or non-fiction, a poem or simply a short paragraph – it’s entirely up to you.

Then each day, nominate another blogger to carry on this challenge.

Accepting the challenge is entirely up to the person nominated, it is not a command. Today, I’m inviting Arundhati at Sandcastle to join the challenge.