Autumn's Debut
It’s coming, the Fall
Coming slowly without a stir
Still her brother isn’t ready
With flute, horn, and the brass
Nor is the caravan of colors
ready
Yet
Poets like me
Have seen, nay observed
Your beauties, your
enchanting grace
Your shy glances
Yesterday
While returning from the walk
Noticed two tiny silky
feathers –
Have the migratory birds
started already?
One red maple tree
Turned rouge all over
Won’t it? After all her lover
has
Kissed, kissed underneath the
blanket
Through the long chilly night
Come my darling
My Gandharva maiden
Blossomed in my sweet dreams
How lucky! What a fortune
No, I don’t feel bad
Missing the Blue Jay of
Godavari
Yesterday
A Blue Bird cooed looking at
me –
It was calling with a
graceful crown
Calling his affectionate mate
“Ti, titi, titi”
Where have they all gone?
All our black, gray, and red
Bushy squirrels?
Now they’re munching on the
walnuts
Screeching in between. I too
teased
Them with my calls giving ‘em
company
No, I did not see the
Annapurna peak
Did not climb the
Nanga-parbat
Did not fly to the Kailas
All the beauties and majestic
graces
Came to me. Now for the
coming Dussera
Mums, colorful chrysanthemums
would be everywhere
Come, my nature maiden – I’ll
decorate you
From head to toe, beckon your
brother
The Northern Wind
Let him rise from the North
Pole
I’ll pull out my Kashmir
shawl
And the tufted woolen cap!
© 2016 t v rao
(The original Telugu poem was
penned on September 15, 2016. September 22nd is the official start of autumn here.)
