Open the window in mid-October
the one that sticks
in the tiny breakfast nook
that saw so many early school days and cereal boxes
and you’ll be greeted by a scent you know but aren’t sure from where
the cool evening breeze wafts in the smell of summer leaving
but just for an instant and then it’s gone
stay and sniff longer and you might catch it again
the smell of grass, green leaves, and blooms
before the odor of leaves and dying plants overtakes you
Wait and this scent comes around again
coupled with the song of single sparrow at dusk
saying goodbye to summer, and welcoming change
You’ll notice the colors creeping at the edges of the trees
in the dimming light
softly encompassing the hills and yards we played in as children
slow and tepid this time of year, soon to be an unstoppable force
whisper a quiet goodbye
the sagacious bee 