Timeless

It wasn't last year, and not even yesterday
But we could have spent the day 
Longing for a past that was,
Or thinking what might be better tomorrow,
Paralysed, waiting for the perfect moment:
More reds, oranges, burgundies, even crimsons
More leaves scraped underfoot, more crackle of twigs,
Until we look up, to experience the joy of the present:
The musky smell of fallen leaves,
Tissue-thin bark peeling off the silver birch,
Mushrooms huddled into their own community,
A peacock sauntering around 
As though he'd always been here,
Would be forever, but importantly - present now!
 
Sheffield Park 
 
October 2025