Ode to Autumn

[Poetry]

A Bottle of Autumn

A bottle of autumn is filled sweaters and ciders and pumpkins and bonfires —
uncorked only during the dying season
to warm our bones on the crisp, cool nights, 
when the harvest moon illuminates our inky indigo sky.

Shelved for two hundred seventy-four days, it's opened
when the air begins to bite our still sun-kissed skin, 
when we begin to yearn for our very own Stars Hollow, 
when the leaves begin their final descent.

Autumn seeps out of the bottle and into the atmosphere, ablaze with comfort —
the sidewalks, suddenly lined with fiery orange sycamores 
and the ground, littered with the vibrant fallen, fragile foliage,
which crinkles to dust under our soft steps during an afternoon stroll.

CRAFT CORNER

I was listening to Third Eye Blind this afternoon and this line (below) in “Ode to Maybe” always makes me think about what, if anything, would I bottle and sell to the masses?

If I could bottle my hopes in a store-bought set, they’d be nutmeg peach and they’d pay the rent.

Now that weather has finally turned more autumnal in my neck of the woods, I feel light and cozy. I’m nestled in my favorite hoodies, drinking coffee. The air is chilly, leaves are turning and beginning to fall, mums and pumpkins adorn porches around the neighborhood. The smell of burning leaves, pumpkin-flavored coffees, baked goods, and candles with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg and clove hang in the air. All of these things would fill my bottle of autumn — an homage to the season that I could enjoy year-round, and not just for the short-but-sweet ninety-one days.

The cover photo I chose for this post is one I took a few years ago when visiting Québec City, taken on a gorgeous fall day while we walked on the cobblestones around the old city. It feels like fall when I look at this photo. I’m instantly transported back to that day and can feel my cheeks turn pink from the cool air.

If you’re on any social media, your feed is inundated with autumn vibes with every swipe. Well, this is my contribution for the season. Last week, I saw post after post channeling Gilmore Girls and Hocus Pocus, and a part of me wishes I had a place to retreat to during the fall months like Salem (albeit overrun by tourists this time of year) or the fictional Stars Hollow. Where I live is flat but the trees really light up during this time of year, so that will have to suffice.

Happy Fall, y’all — may your season be cozy and full of comfort.