Upstate, NY

I always like autumn
best
you can eat homegrown squash
from the farmer's market
and apples off the tree
and the last tomatoes
picked from the garden
before a frost
and walk through the woods
wearing a light jacket
no mosquitoes
only the sound
of crunching leaves
and the smell
of change
and visit the pumpkin patch
on a sunny afternoon
stepping over the vines
to find the best one
showcased
on Halloween night
when you hope
you won't have to wear a coat
over your costume
and the snow
will wait another week


***This poem is modeled after Nikki Giovanni's "Knoxville, Tennessee"