The arc of Helios advances south
and hides its rays from me in neighbor trees,
while every garden squirrel fills her mouth
with anything available. Degrees
of early autumn warmth entice us out
of shirt sleeves, while wisteria discards
its green and drops its curling leaves about
the trellises and arches in our yards.

Now maybe it’s the harvest with its horn
of plenty, gratitude and golden rule,
or maybe my invigoration’s born
this season, for it’s when we started school,
but stamina is present now – the air
infuses me with energy to spare.