I am a retired teacher, an outdoors enthusiast; love hiking, camping, biking, skiing. This free verse poem is about a hike from Howley to Deer Lake. Just did it again last week, 25 kms. along the rail bed. Great hike! From Howley to Here
 
She shoed away Jack Frost, “Not yet, not yet”
October gently whispered as we started out from Howley,
Wearing our gloves and tuques
That crisp fall morning.
 
October walked ahead of us
Carrying only her palette of orange, red, yellow, deep brown
Sometimes rushing just ahead, picking the most worn path
Where the ATV’s had spewed the gravel to the side.
 
 
She painted the dunes at Sandy Dump
A deeper brown;  bright reds and oranges
To complement the open bogs
Before we turned the corner to see her work.
 
 
Meandering Mary Ann brook greeted us
As we stopped for a break.
Bordered by tall strawy grasses
Painted light yellow by October’s brushstrokes.
 
 
Main Dam loomed before us.
The majesty of Grand Lake spread out like an ocean.
A feast of glittering silvers, a surprise from October’s pallet,
A colour she was hoarding for just this purpose.
 
And as the dirt road lazily snaked before us
October ran ahead playing with her browns
Creatively adding a touch of yellow here
Of red there.  Such boldness, October!
 
When we reached the rail bed once again
She greeted us with a confusion of colors
On the bogs as we turned each corner!
Reds, oranges, deep purples.  Oh October!
 
The rail bed stretched ahead, straight ahead
Then grays appeared, light blues.
Her palette became an arsenal of colors
As the day progressed.
 
Near the end she painted light gray-silver smoke
Floating lazily against the light blue sky
Coming from an old cabin on the side of the dirty brown road
Leading into Deer Lake.
 
 
Oh what joy October brought to us that day!
Happy to show off her loveliness to three hikers
Who were walking on a beautiful fall day
From Howley to here.   Submitted By: NULL