Autumn or spring?
Here in the UK autumn has kicked in, from crunchy, already-decaying leaves underfoot and chill in the air to that sad, nostalgic feel everywhere. Summer lurks in background memories like a slow-fading echo, summer deckchairs still now cleaned up and stored away for the year, garden gatherings gone for goodness knows how long, last lingering laughter over the last outdoor tea-time sunk without trace in the October downpours. When we get sunshine, the shadows on the lawn are long now, like sighs... soon the sun will be too weak for shadows at all. Yet a parcel in today's post reminded me that the sun is still shining elsewhere.

A package fell through the letterbox which turned out to be a copy of Australia's state publication, The School Magazine, sent because in which I have a poem in it this month, along with some other poets.  But it was the picture accompanying the poems that caught my eye. I was gazing at a double page of summer-blue ocean! Sea was the theme of the several poems presented there, so no surprise - but the picture, by Matt Ottley, is just so alluring it made me yearn to be right there, in it, lolling idly about in its light, lapping water!

Still, autumn crispness can be pretty good too - when we get it. As for autumn gloom - well, there's always music and lights and dancing and dreaming and brisk walks through the gloaming - never so bad when you're in it!