If I could bottle the essence of autumn…

I would gather the abundance of harvests
into a sheath of flavors,
enhancing it with spicy winds from twirling
leaves of red and orange and yellow.

I would preserve the last blooms of summer,
before winter’s icy fingers took hold,
perpetuating their beauty and scent
as a sweetener for my autumn eau.

I would complete my vialed essence
by filling the bottle with crisp fall air,
letting it gently settle to the bottom,
suspending the stars of autumn as it
drifted through and filled the emptiness within.

Then I’d wrap it all in gold leaf
for autumn is always presented
in the richest of ways.