All of a sudden

One day

You notice a yellow leaf or two

Silently falling from the tree 

Outside the dining room 

Window

As you lunch with friends.

All Summer you’ve seen the sun strike

The pantry shelves, 

Until

Suddenly,

One day,

You notice the light that’s coming through the 

Window 

Is striking the opposite wall.

All of a sudden,

While reading a book on childrearing,

Your son phones from 

A different state,

Where he’s married, and farming 

Someone else’s farm.

All of a sudden

It is Autumn.