Squirrels

The leaves and branches of the oak
Flutter and spring,
I wonder why as there is no breeze,
The rainy morning has becalmed.

Then gray squirrels
Descend from the tree,
One, two, three.
They scamper away
Each in a different direction.

Only to return and leap
Up the trunk and out
Onto the ends of the branches,
Bouncing and swaying
Like children playing and swinging.

Now I see them biting off
Acorns and pouching them,
Working to acquire tasty nuts,
Before running back into the woods
To hide their treasures.

I never knew squirrels
Picked acorns,
Before, I had only seen them
Gathering from the ground.

Something new to me,
Delighted at the discovery
I filed this incident under ‘Squirrels’,
And sat still on the porch,
One quiet morning in October.

Cerita M. Hewett
October 23, 2015

Sassafras Tree

Through the pines and cedar,
I noticed a Sassafras tree turning gold,
I thought, I better go stand beneath it
Before little breezes carry
All the leaves to the ground.

Before it stands bare,
And leafless,
Against the coming freeze.

It would be a shame to miss all that
Warmth and shining light.
Today I went and basked beneath it,
Remembering other times
When I waited too long.

Cerita M. Hewett
October 21, 2015

Her Favorite Hour

(for Alisha)

Her favorite hour of the YEAR?
Daylight Savings’ Fall Back Morning.

Nothing is planned,
No one can demand it,
Because this mythical hour,
Actually doesn’t exist,
Truly a FREE hour,
She can really sleep in.

Thank you Woodrow Wilson.
You probably didn’t think of
This unintended consequence
Of your World War I policy!

Cerita M. Hewett
October 30, 2015

Painting With Leaves

Sunday evening the grand children and I
Went for a walk in our woods,
The forest was quiet,
The pine needles deep and soft beneath our feet,
Some of the deciduous leaves had begun to
Turn colors and fall to the forest floor,
The girls kept giggling and dancing about
Like children having been let out of church,
I kept feeling Elena and then Isabel
Touch the back of my sweater,
I couldn’t see what was happening but
I knew they were putting something,
On my fuzzy sweater vest,

Finally at the house after a photo,
I was able to see their work,
My back was a beautiful leaf painting!

Cerita M. Hewett
Nov. 7, 2011

Harvesters

Arrived today
Somehow they know
When the husks
Split open on the pecans.

My man plants his booted foot
On one end of a springy slat
Lifts up the other end and
Three times he lets it go.
Wham! Wham! Wham!

The shinny black demons fly
Cawing their irritation at a feast
Interrupted.

Circling, calling raucously they
Descend again
Signaling their defiance
At the warning whams.

We go out
Sacrificing gorgeous autumn days to
Shake the trees and
Gather up the nuts,
Not conceding
All the delicious pecans to
The harvesters.

Cerita M. Hewett
November 2001
(revised 2014)

Thanks and Gobblers

(Thanks)

For butterfly wings and fluffy clouds,

For sweet rose scent and tangy pickle juice,

For craggy rocks and soft warm sand,

For children’s hands.

I thank thee Lord!

Cerita M. Hewett

(revised 2014)

(Gobblers)

The great turkey gobbler makes a noise!

He gobbles at the girls.

He gobbles at the boys.

Though we run away from all that squabble,

We laugh until we nearly wobble,

Cause soon we’ll be the ones that gobbles!

Cerita M. Moore

About 1961

Wild Pasture Dance

The dry brown leaves

Raced across the pasture this morning,

They leaped, skipped, and flew

All the way to the fence.

Then they piled on top of each other,

Laughing, tickling, and jostling.

Whispering joy in their

Wild pasture dance.

Their sprint exposed

The tender new green grass

To the sun,

To the rain,

And to the hungry goats.

Cerita M. Hewett

February 20, 2014

PineyWoodsPoet

a winding walk in the woods

fall