Sunlight through the windshield gives welcome warmth
as I wait for my friend to finish shopping in Giant Eagle.
These are the last days of August when Summer's 90 degree
temperatures dissolve into the incipient chill of autumn.
I'm looking at surrounding trees, none of which have lost
leaves yet or become as rainbowized as a multicolored
mandarin duck. I'm eager for September which feels like
the doorway to roadside apple cider, pumpkins, and corn shocks.
I'm planning a trip to the Hocking Hills where kaleidoscopic
foliage will look like an old CPO jacket I used to wear,
mottled with muted colors of an oil slick on water. Even
though heading into late months means cold weather,
I will wear a thick coat for an early morning walk,
enjoy the quiet peace of winter nights. For now, I will
enjoy the last days of summer that are backing out of
my life like a high-ranking servant backs away from
a monarch's throne. For now, I say to myself,
let the glory begin, let winds sweep in, reducing haze,
allowing brilliant reds, oranges, and pinks to flame
at the horizon line. In the meantime, I will stream
"Blue Bossa" by Kenny Dorham and wait for the timeless
repertoire of color to assault trees with the splendor of
gorgeous death.
R. Nikolas Macioci earned a PhD from The Ohio State University. Nik is the author of twenty-five books. He was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, nominated five times for a Pushcart Prize, and twice for a Best of the Net award. His poems have appeared in such magazines as The Hong Kong Review, The Bombay Review, The Raven’s Perch, The Main Street Rag, Xavier Review, Taj Mahal Review, and Bellevue Literary Review.
