By: Sheats

October comes softly,
with gold along the trees
and a cool wind reminding me
that change can still be beautiful.

The leaves let go
without asking what comes next.
They trust the earth
to hold what they release.

I am learning that kind of courage:
to loosen my grip on yesterday,
to make room for what is growing,
to keep believing through the bare branches.

Some days, hope is quiet,
a prayer whispered before morning,
a small flame in a darkened room,
the steady voice inside that says, “Keep going.”

And even as the evenings grow longer,
the sky still opens into color.
The sun still finds its way home.

So, I will meet this season gently,
with gratitude for what has passed
and faith for what has yet to bloom.

October may carry the leaves away,
but it cannot take the light
I have learned to carry within me.