October Leaves - A Poem

Sunset Wine in Albaicín, Spain

Autumn has me longing for spiced candles,

music from a harp, a different major.

These evenings are spent behind the handles

of a road bike I’d honestly wager

gets me downtown far quicker than the bus.

But I struggle with which bike route to choose.

Often I stop and mentally discuss,

then select the one most likely to confuse

with the route to the beach, when I ride home.

Some part of me knows where I want to be.

Still I content myself with dreams of foam,

and follow a path with imagined glee.

I ride amongst October leaves, the sky;

my colors too, revealing as I die.

(Andrew Sandahl, 2014)

Question: In what ways can color and brilliance be found amidst loss and endings?