I Missed the Fiery Furnace of Fall

I missed it.

We traded the fiery furnace of fall in Maine

For the steaming boiler of simmering summer in Florida,

And while I was grateful to leave the cold,

I missed the paradox of deep gray claustrophobic skies

Enhancing the scarlet and gold of autumnal celebration.

When I retrieved this photograph from two years ago

With a boat listing at low tide in Prospect Harbor,

I was there, with no time in between, a timeless moment

Encapsulating all the embers of the end of October–

The perfect ending to the chapter of another year with

Esthetic sustenance beyond the tropical hues we treasure in Tampa.

Peter Stilton  Tampa November 4, 2019