The Road Ahead is Narrowing

Bernadine Lortis

As we make that final turn—
on the winding road in autumn
witness fire burning on trees’ shoulders
showing-off their dance of brilliant shawls
before colder hands of winter winds
show no mercy and shake them off—
as eventually we all will
no matter if we still drive too fast
or have learned to slow down,
we have no other choice
but to remain traveling onward
for our chance to make that U-turn
we might have risked has vanished
like last season’s moldered leaves.