Autumn Crocus

A Shift in the World

Autumn Crocus

By Anne Porter

Some of the leaves

Are falling early

But there are glinting

Dragonflies

Hornets in windfalls

And a brown honeybee

Searching about

In the surviving roses

The summer birds

Are just beginning

Their autumn journeys

We watch

Their clustered flocks

Unraveling in the sky

And always rising

Until they trail away

As small as gnats

And higher than the sun

We watch them out of sight

The air

Is drained of summer

We’re left behind

With apple-scented nights

With carillons of crickets

With planets bright

As the Nativity

And this new air

Whose coolness is itself

A kind of fragrance

And now the earth

Breathes out the unearthly blossoms

Of the autumn crocus

Around the toolshed door.

I will admit I have had this poem saved in my drafts folder for a month, so now it is officially fall. But that does not mean the remnants of summer have not entirely left! The sun is taking longer to rise, but it still inspires beads of sweat at noon. The evenings sometimes feel cooler, but sometimes the mosquitos come out to play (in a very rude way). Our world is still in transition with the seasons.

Our society has faced a lot of emotions this past month, mainly confusion and sadness, sometimes anger. We may all have different opinions and ways of coping with the times, but I think we can all agree that recent events have caused a shift in the culture.

Like the seasons of nature, our world is in transition. I can only pray that this transition brings about the light of God in a powerful way. I appreciate that world events are lining up with the movement into the colder months, which may feel dark to some but feel more intimate to me. It’s a time when we stay warm in our homes, maybe sipping hot tea by a fire with the ones we love. The season invites me to slow down and turn inward: toward God and my family.

How do you view this transition into fall? Do you feel it’s influence on how you are living day to day?

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I’m Hosting an Event at LegendHaven 2025!

Hey friends! I’m excited to share that I’ll be at LegendHaven, the friendliest fiction convention in the world! You should come! It's an all-day weekend in October, Sat 18- Sun 19, for authors and story lovers.

I'll be live on the 19th for two back-to-back events listed below.

🐲 What’s LegendHaven? #legendhaven

If you love books, storytelling, and hanging out with the creators behind your favorite characters, you've got to join me there. LegendHaven is packed with meetups, AMAs, live chats, contests, and found fellowship.

Think panels, readings, AMAs, exclusive content, fan rewards, raffles, story previews, and author hangouts.

It's all online, and yes, you don't even need your camera. You can GIF-reply or chat all day.

🎤 Here's what I’m hosting at LegendHaven:

📚 The EPIC Influence of Poetry in Fiction: From Beowulf to Lord of the Rings, poetry has played a big role in connecting humans through storytelling. We’ll chat about the ancient history of epic poetry for storytelling and how this evolved through the centuries.

I will also be one of the part of a panel where we will discuss “The Future of Fantasy.” The future of fantasy isn’t just dragons and dark lords. Let’s explore the currents shaping fantasy today: grimdark, cozy, escapism, mythics, epics. How can fantasy help us reclaim a hopeful vision of the world?

📍 How to Join Me at LegendHaven

1. Follow me on [Social Media Link] and join my email list.

2. Get your weekend con pass at legendhaven.com

3. Mark your calendar to join my session on October 19th!

4. Explore the events, drop a comment, and bring your fun to our meetup.

Can’t wait to see you there!