Intertribal Life Newspaper -

As an artist, color is everything. Whenever autumn is here, I find it brings me renewed awareness of our Creator all over again. I am in awe at the bounty of colors, from warm earth tones to neon yellows and orange. Creator is the Master artist and I take every opportunity to absorb as much as I can. Every tree lined country road or golden field is a work of His hand. Last year, on a perfect Indian summer day, I was inspired to write this poem as I watched my son and daughter-in-law turn what might have been a chore for my granddaughters, into an adventure with lots of fun and laughter. A pile of dry leaves came alive and we found ourselves:

In an ocean of leaves, on a bright autumn day

When our Dad changed the raking, to a time of play.

I put on my sweater and went out to stay

The wind was blowing, every which way.

Flittering down, from branches high

Kaleidoscope colors of leaves, crumbly dry.

As far as I looked, all that I could see...

Were bright yellows and reds, floating down on me

I raked up a pile, oh so high

Then my sister and Dad both came walking by.

They dove right into my colorful ocean

"Come on," laughed Dad. "Let's start a commotion!"

I belly flopped in, and began splashing away

In an ocean of leaves, on an autumn day.

Now it was time to get back to my chore.

Together we raked up, leaves galore!

My sister tossed them high to the sky

But Dad bagged them quickly, before they could fly.

Standing knee deep, in an ocean of leaves

Watching them sailing, down from the trees.

Along came Mom, throwing leaves in the air.

She laughed and then pointed: "Lots more over there!"

All of this time, while we gathered up leaves...

More kept on drifting down from the trees.

We lined up the bags, that were filled to the top

We had to fill more 'cause they did not stop.

All afternoon, we worked, then we'd play

In an ocean of leaves, on a bright autumn day.