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Autumn

You’ll notice, ‘round this time of year,
That to the flowers they hold dear,
The bees will cling the whole night through—
And if you loved them, wouldn’t you?

So what if evening’s deadly chill
May be the final, bitter pill
That brings your life unto its end—
Where else would you these moments spend?

And if it’s not your time, just yet,
Praise ye the Lord and may He let
The rising sun do what it does …
And ‘round your favorite flowers buzz.

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Joe Tessitore is a retired New York City resident and poet.

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17 Responses

  1. lionel willis

    That is beautiful, Joe! The language in it sounds like ordinary human speech yet it asserts a form: a strict structure of meter and rhyme in which every end of line and stressed syllable asserts the discipline of the poets’s craft. This structure then becomes the adornment of feelings common to all humanity (one hopes!): the fragile beauties of Autumn. When Joe Salemi compared a well-made poem to a piece in a netsuke collection, I think he was imaging works like this – I was anyway. Thank you for increasing the pleasure of my soon to be completed life!

    Reply
  2. Jeff Eardley

    Joe, this is one of those poems that will resonate long after we’ve all passed on. I love the message conveyed with skill and brevity. An absolute gem to read today. Thank you.

    Reply
  3. Peter Hartley

    Joe – very short and snappy but with a good strong message well delivered. A very timely poem and accompanied by a fine choice of poem from Evan.

    Reply
  5. Paul Freeman

    The chatty, informal style of this poem belies some profound messaging and is the sort of thing you want to read before a long day’s slog at work.

    Reply
  7. Margaret Coats

    Joe, I worried about the evening’s deadly chill killing a reader, until I saw the bees reappear in the final word “buzz.” Then, going back to “May be,” I see them emphasized also in the second stanza. Very well-structured douzain (12-line poem)!

    Reply
  8. Cheryl Corey

    Funny thing — just the other day I was watching a bee at work on late-blooming cosmos. As the season changes, especially here in New England, you can more fully appreciate the beauty and tenacity of any remaining flowers. A very enjoyable read, and your closing thoughts resonated with me.

    Reply
  9. Yael

    This is great, I love it, and it’s true too. The bees are doing just that around here as we are getting a little bit of frost in the early morning hours but it hasn’t been enough to kill anything just yet. Awesome poem, thanks.

    Reply
  11. Joe Tessitore

    This one was a pleasure to write.
    Thank you for your very kind comments.

    Reply
  12. Joe Tessitore

    I am remiss in not thanking Evan for masterfully rewriting a line that retained the poem’s simplicity and clarity.
    It would not have been the same if he hadn’t.

    Reply
    • C.B. Anderson

      You have outdone yourself, Joe. As all the others have noted, this is a gem that deserves a platinum setting.

      Reply

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