I’ll whisper to you a secret.
Spring beguiles, summer struts
And winter whistles away.
I am more at home with autumn orange
in its simple charming splendor.
Orange in the morning sunrise
that almost surrenders before it begins
and leaves in trees ablaze in color sweeping
down mountain slopes with the wind.
Orange in the feeling of plentitude
taking one’s time on aimless walks,
raking the leaves half-heartedly and
listening longer to others’ words.
Autumn orange, once more cradle me
in timelessness, safety, tranquility.
Michael Shoemaker is a poet, writer, and photographer. He is an author of Rocky Mountain Reflections (Poets’ Choice, 2023). Michael is a winner of the California State Poetry Society Prize and is on the shortlist for The Letter Review Prize for Poetry. His writing has appeared in Blue Lake Review, the High Window, The Penwood Review and elsewhere. His poems are anthologized at Poetry Pacific and Pure Slush. He lives in Magna, Utah with his wife and son. Michael has been awarded a Writer-in-Residence at the Wollf Cottage in Fairhope, Alabama in 2024. He is an editor for the Clayjar Review.
