September sunrise
Golden like the hay fields
Balmy red morning sky
Like the crawdads in the creek
Little bodies and pinchers
Hiding among the rocks
A coyote runs across the pastures
The mare watches wanly
Cotton spins above us
As we gather clover flowers
To string around our necks
And braid through our hair
Frogs hop away from us
Marsh cattails rip open
Downy seeds quickly spreading
On the wind
Like the baby chicks that are now
Pullets almost grown
Their youth a memory of
April and the start of spring
The cold air moves in after dinner
And we embrace the fall night
Rachel Turney is an educator and artist located in Denver. Her poems, research articles, drawings, and photography can be found in a few publications. Follow her on Instagram at @turneytalks, Bluesky at @rachelturney, or check out her website turneytalks.com.