Thoughts on Fall Wind

Wind I

Falling leaves dance above the pavement
in spiraling yellow and orange
a single leaf defies gravity
riding an updraft
serenely floating, almost stationary
except for a lazy spin that captures me
in its other world

Wind II
Grey air full of mist
blown south to north under full clouds
challenge my wipers to a contest of sight
in the brief clarity of an arc shows
a darker cloud in the sky above
a fluttering flag across the highway
one end attached to a power line
the other waving wildly free
then the starlings
blown struggling from their roost
regain their composure
rein in their companions
and furl the flag into a black line on the wire

Jparrish 2013