by Rohini Chowdhury

Raindrops gleam silver among the grass
Dandelions fold their golden heads against the wind and wet.
A smell of snails and rotten drains
Late flowering lavender, purple, wet
Scents the air.
Berries and rose hips shining red.
A solitary leaf, red, green, gold, and wet
Proclaims the end of summer.

A burst of sunshine, the sky
Incredibly clear. An aeroplane
Leaves an icy trail of white against the blue.
Grey clouds blown by the wind.
A spray of rain suddenly,
Again.

The willows weep in gold green strands,
And caress Vipasha's cheek.
She laughs, the sun shines again.

A magpie flaps across our path
Elegant, black and white,
A flash of blue in the liquid light.
Vidisha gurgles in delight.

A twisted oak, hollow and black, still bearing fruit.
Acorns litter the ground. Fresh green,
Turning golden brown.
A squirrel darts among the trees.
Horse chestnuts rise tall above the brambles.
Leaves fringed rust and gold,
Spiky fruit, green and heavy,
Shiny fat conkers, liquid brown
Burst out of their fleshy shells.

A perfect rainbow arches the sky.
The children hold my hands
We forget the rain, our tired feet
And we are glad - to be.