Member Poem

The leaves had been raked and piled up
    in drifts of gold and red.
The yellow and crimson autumn gifts
    over the land were spread.
The lake was a dark steel mirror for the firs
    and a few bright spires.
And the last of the geese were flying, high above they were flying
    The last few geese were flying and calling,
calling in farewell choirs.

The air held a sad damp scent of snow
    that I could scarcely believe.
I begged the great Northland for sunshine
    though it might be a short reprieve.
Just one more fall gift among many
    that we would be glad to recieve.
But the first fine flakes came tumbling, from a grey sky they came tumbling,
The thick white flakes came tumbling
    on a lakeside Adam and Eve.

|"Put on your red beret,"called Joe
    as he pulled on his boots in the hall.
"It's cold today, the wind is high
    and I'm sure the first snow will fall.
We promised to walk together
    we both pledged never to part.
It's time for us to go walking.  In sun or snow we go walking
    Yes, sun or snow we go walking
     Year after year we go walking and it's time to make a start."

The path was a silent white carpet.
    I could feel his hand so warm.
I could hear his breath beside me
    or was it the sigh of the storm?
I turned at the main road as always
    his marker, the red stop sign.
But only one set of footprints, one lonely set of footprints
    Only my set of footprints
    led back to our house in the pines.