When the leaves turn colour and the air gets a little more crisp my heart skips a beat. Brisk and cool, it’s freshness is welcome and I breathe it in happily. The crisp air fills my lungs with pure joy, knowing cooler weather is becoming more consistent. I love the colour changes, as Mother Nature puts on her own fashion show. Speaking of fashion, one of my favourite things about Fall is all the new sweaters that come out to keep us warm on our adventures.

I love the crunchy leaves as I walk down paths or across the yard, and the gift of morning frost. Fall is definitely one of my favourite season.

When the air gets cooler,

The colors outside grow ever warmer.

Everything is in perfect balance.

Colors are always warm when the seasons change.

It's the universe's way of saying,

"Sorry for the allergies, have some pretty colors"

I've always hated when summer turned into fall.

It meant that I would be cold all the time soon,

And that I would have to wear pants and leaves.

But I loved the colors the leaves would turn.

Like paint covering a canvas, leaves coated my back yard.

They laid over everything in maroon and marigold.

Suddenly, the fall isn't so bad.

rosy as blood

dripping from vampire fangs

thirsty for something more.

no one understands.

(red)

pumpkin-tinted smiles

matching the leaves

a stomach left full

of candy and treats

and outside,

the pumpkin begins

to rot.

(orange)

sunlight filters

in through the trees

the ground washed in gold

like sparkling jewelry.

gold paint that will eventually

chip away

into darkness

that lasts longer and longer.

(yellow)

Leaves fall from the trees above, joining the confetti of amber and scarlet that flutters in the air. The pavement, which was once dull granite-grey, now shines aureate. Each step across the track ends with a soft crunch. A gentle breeze whizzes by and playfully kick up leaves back into the air. The world has turned golden.

Heaps of sparkling sand and crumpled leaves lie forgotten on the roadsides, only to be blown away by the cool wind seconds later, Nature's very own air conditioning system.

My hair lasts longer these days, just like the heavy darkness that falls over the city by six pm sharp. But before that, you can feel the glaring heat of the sun casting a sickening pale glow over the city, the sky a mixture of orange cream, with spots of aqua blue in between and layers of thick cloud floating by lazily, violet tendrils creeping in from around the edges of the horizon.

As soon as night falls, the cloudless sky gives way to a bright moon and a lone twinkling star, two actresses putting on a glorious show for the whole world to see.

Suddenly, the AC’s throw feels harsh and unnecessary upon my aching legs, another sign that winter is on the way. For now, just the fans will do, thank you very much.

I would never wear silk to bed like I do now. It’s soft touch and warm embrace soothes my shivering body, clinging to it like a second skin. The only thing I need now is a bundle of soft blankets and some hot soup and I’m good to go. Thank you, God. You have given me all the comfort in the world that I could ever wish for. I love you.

the heat of the sun slowly rises from the earth, forsaking the living. in its place is the slow surge of cold, yellowing the greenery and coaxing nature into a seasonal sleep. of course, that's putting it ominously. in truth, the oncoming cold is a breath of fresh air - the skies clear up, rainstorms roll away, people pull out their dark-toned clothing and smile as they wait in line for steaming mugs of hot coffee. the trees begin their cycle of sleep by shedding their yearly leaves, showering the world with reds and oranges that blanket the floors. plaid patterned long sleeves and fuzzy lined socks become a norm, and the clear blue sky reminds everyone that the day can still be worth living as the temperatures slowly plummet. yes, autumn is a time of death and sleep and changes - but it is also a time of red leaves when trees are usually green, a time of black coffee warming up cold hands, a time where people can go outdoors without sweat dripping down their backs. the cycle is beautiful because of its brevity, and soon enough it will be gone, so enjoy autumn while it lasts or you'll wake up with sweat on your back and summer rain showers tackling an earth with green trees against instead of red ones.

Yesterday's gloom carries onto today. The sky's soft blanket is just light enough that the warmth seeps through. What a soft cooling touch the breeze gives, like a warming hug in which to rest in. The chirping birds lay in wait, as to not take away from the charming hummers. The hummers make no waste as to dictate which flowers they shall take.

I hand my daughter a stem of yellow leaves on the ground. She is one year old and still thinks the way of exploring the world is through her mouth. I pick up a red leaf and hand it to her. I wonder if it taste like cherry. The falling leaves mark the end of a season, the end of life, but I can't help but think for her it's a beginning. She doesn't remember last year. In her mind, she has never seen the leaves change color. For all she knows, they do taste like cherries. Or lemon drops. Or orange taffy. She has to try them all. I imagine what she will think when she sees snow. Or tries to eat an icicle. She has the entire world to discover. Witnessing it reminds me that I take for granted the beauty around me. I recently took an online test to determine my strengths. One of the questions keeps coming back to me. "Do you see beauty in the world that other people miss?" Do I put always, sometimes, or never? I see beauty around me, but do I miss some of it? Looking through my daughter's eyes, I can see there is beauty around me that I miss. And if I take a look, I might wonder at the toffee flavored leaves on the tree outside.