Golden

It is that time
That time of year when everything is suffused
with a deep surreal golden light.
The air
clear and sharp, with a tang of wood smoke
and the pungent scent of fully ripened, almost gone fruit
Warm... but with a chill, at the back of the neck
Swirling leaves
perform their final mid-air dance
before falling in a textured tapestry at my feet.
So I breathe deep
and exhale
waiting