The leaves turn; become flame and fall smoldering to the earth.
The world is changing, retreating, the wiser ones, deserting,
Birds fly far from here,
A mass exodus bound for white beaches and palm trees that sway in a humid December breeze.
Mammals withdraw, those unable to stand the cold, retreating far beneath the soon to be solid earth.
Flowers wither and drop their buds, extending their roots deep beneath the soil, reaching for the life that will soon no longer be found above.
Only humans remain, daring to venture out, bundled doggedly, shovels in hand, proudly refusing to yield to nature.
Does this make us resilient, triumphant?
Or simply stubborn, and thus most primitive of all.
Marian Siljeholm
Manchester
Company Promises to Make All Snail Mail Digital
Analyst: Tumblr Fills Void in Yahoo's Offerings
Commuters Face Delays After Conn. Train Accident
Raw: Swarm of Tornadoes Slams Plains
Raw: Fierce Bombing in Qusair, Syria
RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado
Raw: Accused US Spy Reportedly Leaves Russia
AP CEO: Records Seizure 'Unconstitutional'
Fatal Hot Air Balloon Accident in Turkey
Tornadoes, Storms Strike Midwest
'Babyland': Camp Lejeune's Toxic Legacy?
Raw: Heavy Tornado Damage in Shawnee, Okla
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
