the song of coming Autumn
I am Sarah Ellen Macdonald, I am a grandmother, mature graduate and performance artist, I was also a long term carer for my late husband. In 2010 I joined Meldreth Tavern Gallery Writers to explore my inner voice and make a little time in a demanding and difficult life. Some of my work has been published in their anthology (Blurb Books 2012) More recently I have returned to live in Scotland where I still write.
The verse I have chosen to send is called Quality of Life was written in 2014.
QUALITY OF LIFE
Daily, my herculean task,
To liberate you from
the prison of yourself,
whilst accepting with love
your body as it fails,
denying it the gaolers key.
Freeing your mind
to plan our days;
In meadows beside the river.
Of sunshine sand and sea.
Or under dappling canopies
of gossiping Beech trees,
Whose fluttering leaves whisper
the song of coming Autumn,
on a soft Westerly breeze.
I can bring you the sweetest scent
of newly opened tulips,
redder than the sunset.
I can give you the gold
Of the freshly mown straw,
drying in the sun.
The gift of Autumn leaves,
falling gently earthwards.
The sharp sweet taste
of homemade jam,
fruit of the village orchard
and the wild bordering wood.
The nip of snowflakes on the tongue.
The laughter, carols and bells
of an icy Christmas eve.
Sarah Ellen Macdonald
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