Welcome Back, Autumn (Guest Post)

Our son, Chuk is a true Michigander with the heart of a poet. He lives in Grand Rapids, and, along with his day-job is pioneering a candle-making business called Red Jacket Candle Company. I have invited him to contribute a guest post today.

My breath hung in the air as if it were being played back in slow motion. The cold air pinched my cheeks as I walked to the car. I turned the key in the ignition and the engine spins then roars. I turned the heater knob from its summer resting place in the blue and flopped it over midway through the red. I turned to head home beneath the trees half green half fire engine red. In front of the hardware store the pallets of mulch are replaced by colorful mountains of mums. At the coffee shop the folks have moved from the shade of the umbrellas inside to the “comfy” chairs. The conversations have turned from the vacations of summer, back to school and work.

When I was young I lived at the end of a dead end road. It wasn’t always a dead end. There was once a bridge but that had been washed away years ago. The result was our very own hiking trail that ran back about a half mile to a river. I used to run and play on that abandoned road with my older brother. One year about the time the leaves started turning and the air was too, my dad took us for a walk. We walked back that road till we saw a gap in the trees. Standing high above corn fields that ran out into what seemed like eternity my dad stopped. “You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance” he said. I assumed it was a bible verse, but didn’t know which. My dad chuckled with gratitude and we walked on but my mind stayed there. Even now my mind goes back.

The smell of pumpkin hugs me as I open the door, soft music plays in my sisters room. It seems I am not alone when I say “Welcome back Autumn we missed you”.

If you enjoyed Chuk’s piece leave a comment for him below. He’s a social guy.