When leaves turn gold,
Copyright -Jennifer Pendergast
I know that their time has come.
With roses for cheeks
And chirping laughter,
I watch them enter in loud hordes.
The sky grows dark,
Eclipsed by pearly clouds.
Fragile branches sag under heavy ice;
Bags droop under tired, learned eyes.
I watch as hordes become silent clusters.
Snow melts. Unveils
Emerald leaves no longer burdened.
With roses back on their cheeks,
Straight backs, relieved shoulders,
I watch as one by one they leave, triumphant.
—
Forgive me, readers; it has been seven months since my last blog entry. Shame! I hear you cry. And you would be fully justified in your outrage.
At first, my lack of writing sprouted out of very defensible circumstances: my day job took over my life. I used to drag my saggy eye-bags to the house at eleven in the evening, and winch my heavy bones out of bed at six the next day. So I could not necessarily be blamed for not being able to think of any stories during the sweet, drowsy hours between midnight and five. This went on for precisely one month. After that…no excuse. Apathy took over. I would think of my blog and suddenly I would feel iron claws crawling up my skin, weighing me down, preventing me from even attempting to think.
Now, I would love to say that this sickness affected only my blogging, but, alas, no! I haven’t written a single fictional word in this past eon; nothing, nada, niente, nichts (unless one counts the occasional email one drops to senior management every now and then when one feels the need to stay at home rather than dragging one’s being to the infernal labyrinth that is the office, but who’s counting?).
Now, I came back.
Much has changed.
I used to have a healthy selection of writing challenges that kept me busy every day of the week. Only, I returned to discover, to my dismay, that most are gone, ended and buried.
Not Friday Fictioneers, though…and oh the sweet tears I shed when I learnt that this challenge, this great, challenging challenge remains (no kidding here, I really did tear up!). I missed everything about Friday Fictioneers; the enticing pictures, the great stories, the embracing companionship from fellow writers, the rush to manage the weekly deadline…
Enough of my chit chat now. I hope you like my little piece, it’s been ages (as I explained extensively) so please be kind. I hope – I sincerely hope – that I will see you again next week.
Sandra's scribbles 
Fascinating!
🙂 Thanks!
you showed the way of life in a very beautiful way…. really nice
Thank you 🙂
I like the description of the rebirth cycles.
It took a while to construct… thanks a lot for your comment, Brian.
Nice poem and very illustrative.
Thanks a lot!
Very nice descriptions… it takes me back a few years….timeless memories.
Hehe 🙂 nothing compares to that time; the deadlines, the stress, the moments where you think you can’t take it anymore, the brilliant aspirations… unforgettable! Thanks for your comment.
Lovely – University life from start to finish – I really enjoyed this.
As for taking a break from writing – i experienced the exact same thing, work took me away from writing at the start and suddenly it was months later and I hadn’t written a thing. Friday Fictioneers brought me back from the brink, so I’m sure it will for you too!
Thank God for Friday Fictioneers! 🙂 Glad you’re back! Thanks for your comment.
Lovely poem! It made me nostalgic for my own school days.
Glad to hear that! 🙂 thanks for your comment.
Beautiful! Glad you’re back 😉
Thanks! 🙂
Strange and compelling poetry. Leaves and students is what I see – no doubt others see differently.
That’s what I saw when I wrote it.. so we’re on the same track 😉
I could feel the rush of a new dress, the excitement of seeing old friends, the smell of snow, the excitement of spring! Thank you.
Glad it brought back memories 🙂
beautiful words. I’m happy that you’re writing again! yes, i understand exactly… i used to participate in so many writing challenges that i used to post like 2x sometimes 3x per day… but then there’s real life, priorities… i’m just really glad that friday fictioneers is very much alive and it looks like it’s here to stay 🙂
Hopefully it will! Thanks a lot for your comment K.Z!
Sandra, Welcome back. Your piece was vividly descriptive and gave us lovely memories. Well written. 🙂 —Susan
Glad you liked it, Susan.
I loved your poem, it felt very romantic to me.
🙂 Thanks!
Indeed.. what an old arch would see.. Lovely poem.. so happy that you found your way back.. there are so many that need a hiatus.. sometimes forced upon them, sometimes just for rest. Hope to meet you across the prompts that still exist..
In fact, I need to start scouring the internet for other tantalizing prompts..i hope to meet you along the way :p Thanks for your comment, Bjorn.
Wonderfully crafted poem, Sandra! Hope to read you again soon…
Ellespeth
Dear Sandra,
Your poem well written. It sounded like a teacher’s musing to me.
Your explanation, however, touched me more deeply than I can say. I work a job where certain times of the year are more stressful than others. Not to mention some horrendous insanity that sent me through a year of total, job related misery.
Friday Fictioneers is one of the things in my life that gave me some happiness when it seemed nothing else did.
To know what it means to you, makes me well up. Thank you for sharing that. I hope that life is better for you and I am very happy to see you back.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks a lot Rochelle, both for your comment, but more importantly for your commitment to this weekly challenge..would still be drowning in my hiatus if it weren’t for this…!
Welcome back! and what a beautiful way to return. I know it’s tough when you’ve been out of writing for a while, but you certainly haven’t shamed yourself with your return. Stick with it now!
You’re so kind! Thank you loads for your encouraging comment 🙂