Leaf Smoke ©

At first,
leaves fall slowly
and silently,
one by one;
then October gales
and November rains
strip the branches;
Autumn's golden glory
covers streets and sidewalks.
Children crunch through the heaps
laughing at the noise;
a dog snuffles, looking for treasure;
then the orange and red carpets
are raked into bonfire piles;
a spiral of smoke soars upward,
sending a message
of another year's passing.