Autumn Schmautumn

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DSCF1865 - Version 3

Autumn Schmautumn

The only colored leaves I see are going to be faux,
for autumn never visits in my part of Mexico.
In fact, those piles of autumn leaves are far back in my past.
Green on the leaves in Mexico just lasts and lasts and lasts.
It’s true that each leaf everywhere must one day be defeated,
but down here where I live, the only way leaves are unseated
is not by frigid temperatures. There’s no cold to unglue them.
Our only leaf-removal means is cutter ants that chew them!
The ones who cut them down are all the bravest and the best.
Their comrades wait below to carry them all to their nest.
Their robberies completed without the slightest peep,
their piles of leaves depleted in the nighttime while we sleep.
Our guard dogs doze on soundly as ants pass by in the dark,
letting all these thieveries go on without one bark.
And so I fear that this far south no autumn colors are viewed.
Our trees create no spectacle. They go from green to nude!
And though ants harvest all our leaves—just chew them off and take them,
at least they grant us favors in that we don’t have to rake them!

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About lifelessons

My blog, which started out to be about overcoming grief, quickly grew into a blog about celebrating life. I post daily: poems, photographs, essays or stories. I've lived in countries all around the globe but have finally come to rest in Mexico, where I've lived since 2001. My books may be found on Amazon in Kindle and print format, my art in local Ajijic galleries. Hope to see you at my blog.

22 thoughts on “Autumn Schmautumn”

  1. kim881

    I love the quirky title and the fabulous ant image! We haven’t seen many ants this year and I wonder what has happened to them. I think they may have come to visit you!
    What a shame you don’t experience autumn in your part of the world. It’s my favourite season. But then, you have some wonderful things that I will never experience – such as cutter ants! An amazing tale of busy insects stealing the vegetation.

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  10. lwbut

    Wonderful poem Judy – i really enjoyed it. full of great imagery and humour. 🙂

    it’s great pic too – I just hope it was not taken indoors??

    Enjoy the leaves (and the cool?) while you’ve got them. 🙂

    love.

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    1. lifelessons Post author

      Nope. Only way they come inside is if they somehow get in my hair while I’m exercising in the pool at night. They tend to march in long lines around the edge of the pool and a few times they’ve crawled up my arm and into my hair as i hold onto the side of the pool for some exercises. I’ve had a few bites at night or felt them on my neck or face when I go to bed. They give nasty bites with those huge jaws!

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      1. lwbut

        We have some pretty big ants in Aus – bull ants about an inch long! Fortunately none around my house. I have fire ants on the grass road verge – if one bites you you are in burning pain for about 30-40 minutes. I do my level best to avoid them 😉

        And then there are the spiders….

        love

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