Fall
The way the leaves curled was like little crowns.
Only in Autumn. Small naked kings running
through the neighborhood, their faces
glistening with the glaze of apples, fighting
over the kingdoms of pumpkins.
To arms! To arms! they cried, paying no
attention to pending snowflakes— it would
only take one or two— that soon, so soon,
would smother them.
Alan L. Birkelbach
Alan Birkelbach is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters, Western Writers of America, and The Academy of American Poets. He is a Spur Award Winner, Wrangler Award winner, and two-time international Indie Book Award Finalist. He is the author or co-author of 13 books of poetry.