Autumn Road

The roads we travel will always lead us home...

Autumn Road 

By 

Carlos Lorenzo Estrada 

(A Perpetual Fall)

Upon this Autumn road I've walked 

With weary heart confess 

Beneath the fervent cypress leaves 

That clatter calm distress 

In wild grass that blooms emerald 

and bends in sorrow'd waves 

Each blade languished; from a song of wind

Within changing of her days

The blossoms of a florets Spring 

Paint lavish earth with vibrance 

As daisies frolic 'pon their stems 

In echo of their silence 

The tender weeping of a stream 

Pours gently upon its path

Crescendos into river's edge

And roars with nature's wrath

Wisterias draped with Spanish moss

Enchanting in their presence 

As dandelion seeds flutter like rain

In hauntingly abundance 

The call of tree birds ring aloud

On thorny aureate branches

With iridescent wings aflutter 

Take to wind in joyful dances

In the labor of my tired limbs 

I walk this path alone

In search for simple peace of mind

From quiet steps I roam 

For road was long; I've traveled far

And forgotten where and when

To reach the garden of God's soul

and find myself again... 

Author's Note

The path we roam will always lead us home. But home is not always the place we may have expected or wanted in our search. Love often works in such mysterious ways as we know. Hopes often flutter in the wind upon these roads and time often stops, or moves us forward to the point we have forgotten where and when our journey began. And when we look behind ourselves we find we are alone. With our thoughts, the wind, nature, and what we believe as God.

Reviews

[Soren]

Carlos this poem brings memories of "The road not taken" by Robert Frost. A beautiful description of nature and I feel that I have been there befor. So well rhymed and with such good meter as well. A pleasure to read.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Soren for such a kind comment on this piece. I have always wanted to write a piece that utilized imagery of nature as a narrative to a life lived. My father was the raging river. My grandmother the hopeful flight of birds. My mother the sorrow'd bending grass. The frolicking daisies my past loves. God to me has always been synonymous with love. Never a religious figure. And love, whether pained or true, is in all these things of life. In the moments. That was in the context of writing that defines this piece. Thank you so much again my friend. CLE

[Betty Hermelee]

Nice rhyming....along with vivid images of your walking path....sometimes walking alone and not knowing exactly where it will bring you, is good for the soul....a special journey to find oneself....among the natural beauty we can all enjoy...nicely written Carlos...
Warmly, B

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you kindly B. For the longest time I wanted to write an evocative piece filled with beautiful images that in truth reflect the lives of those that define me. My grandmother is in the flight of birds. My father's rage is the river. The sorrowful bending grass my mother. In the daisies I see my past loves. Where do they all lead? To a place of love. God to me has always been synonymous with love. Not religion to me. God is in all these beautiful moments. It is where all our Autumn roads lead. CLE

[Betty Hermelee]

You certainly did a beautiful job of your family tree and all the descriptives….so honest and sincere…
Warmly, B.

[Chris Shaw]

Wonderful couplets laden with beautiful imagery. A reminder of how the natural environment can be such a boon as we travel the road of life. Our journey and ours alone. No one does it for us. Always a pleasure to read you Carlos. Have a great week.

Chris

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Chris for the sweet words and encouragement you always share. Not just with me but others in the community. This place is an Autumn road unto itself. Each dynamic piece of poetry and writing taking the readers to places they dream and yearn for. As your own artful work often does as well. Life is filled with these moments I've described in this piece. They can often reflect people we know. A raging river; my father. A flight of birds; my hopeful grandmother. We can find a bit of ourselves in these images. They make us who we are. God to me has never been a religious figure but instead synonymous with Love. In its purity. It's what we all in moments of life reach for or yearn to be. It is in the quiet moments of a perfect kiss. Where our road changes forever in another direction. For two. Thank you so much again for all you contribute to the community, but especially for being a remarkable artist of words.

[Chris Shaw]

And a huge thank you to you Carlos for your kindness and appreciation of my efforts :)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I really like how you use oxymorons ...."calm distress"---
This is "the road taken"---a long one with much distress, and then getting to the end of it, wondering why we got here, and why we took this road in the first place. Life can do this to us.
j.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you J for sharing your thoughts with me. The wisdom of your insightful words, as well as eye for subtle nuance within art truly defines your uncompromising love for poetry. I wanted to paint a life lived in words. Each evocative and natural image a reflection of moments. Much like the things that we retain in memory that are memorable to us, like living treasure. Even if some moments may have been born from melancholy. There is beauty in everything it just may take time to see and realize it. We live, we love, we laugh, we cry, and we rage in the history of us. But in the end we take flight towards greater purpose and pursuits. We all walk our Autumn road. I apologize for not writing sooner. It's been difficult these past months finding the time. The new job has occupied much of it. Hopefully soon I'll be able to spend more time on my writing, proofreading, and editing of my work. I miss being here and reading all the amazing writing and poetry in our community. It's inspiring as art often is. Thank you so much my friend.

[Farjana Shah Chaity]

I love this writing, lovely descriptions. good job!

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Farjana for your kind comment on this poem. Your words encourage me in this writing journey I'm upon. This poem wrote itself and I felt taken along this ride I knew not where I would end up. In the end I feel it took me back to who I am. Just a common person who dreams of a better world. And who yearns to believe in the words of a song written by the famous Liverpool poets: The love you take Is equal to the love you make.

[Farjana Shah Chaity]

Keep writing more beautiful pieces.

[nisha]

wow i loved this !! the imagery and the journey of the poem was unique and captivating! great job

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with me on this piece. I truly appreciate it. Writing this was a journey in itself. One that I had no idea where the words would take me, but where I was ready to go. I think in some ways I was inspired by the great poet singer of Liverpool who said: The love you take Is equal to the love you make.

[Patricia]

well done, flowed well, great rhymes, beautiful images that are easily called upon, and the ending was terrific. Loved it!

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you kindly Patricia for your encouraging sweet comment. I really appreciate it. Writing this was a journey in itself. I didn't know where it would lead me. I only knew I wanted to go there. And maybe that is the point of it all. Like the great poet singer once sang: The love you take Is equal to the love you make. CLE

[W. Barrett Munn]

One of the real strengths of your writing is how well you maintain the call and response of each couplet and then weave couplet to couplet into a whole.

Winston

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Winston for the awesome comment. It means a lot to me. There are so many wonderful forms of poetry, but I've always had an adoration for ryhme. In some ways it defines the creative aspects of my art style and how I see the world. Very lyrical and inspiring. I've written in other styles but I'm always drawn back to ryhme. Perhaps subconsciously I equate it with love and its greater higher qualities. CLE

[emmajoygreen]

' The call of tree birds ring aloud
On thorny aureate branches

With iridescent wings aflutter
Take to wind in joyful dances'

For me, the above couplets are visually beautiful. Plus, In theirr meter - dancing and fluttering, they smiled me happily calm! Between the All About and a poet' heartfelt skill, you offer such welcome peace.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Emmajoy for your kind comment on this poem. This road of life is often filled with a beauty we often take for granted. While we are too busy living we most often fail to see and grasp life's true meaning and purpose. I wanted to capture in a way one of the most philosophically profound and truthfully wise lines ever said. It was by a group of singing poets who I believe revealed life's true meaning.The love you take
Is equal to the love you make.

[Neville]

.. enchanting Carlos .. and with much respect sir .. ink exceedingly well spilled .. kindest of regards, N.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you my friend. This road of life is often painted in beautiful mesmerizing colors and images we often take for granted. While we are too busy living we are missing out on the importance of our journey. It's in the simple things. Despite the complexity of our individual road in life I believe the message leads us to the most profound simple answer once sung by a group of poets. The love you take Is equal to the love you make.