There is just something about this time of year that leaves me feeling inspired and all aglow with love for creation. Lucky for me PBS recently released an amazing series by Ken Burns documenting some of America’s most beautiful bits of creation called, “The National Parks, America’s Best Idea”. You can check it out here. It’s really an amazing documentary, and one of my favorite parts was the portion that highlighted John Muir. My fascination with John Muir started years ago in a sophomore geology course I took in college, but was recently rekindled during our trip to Scotland, (he was born just 30 miles from Edinburgh) and then quickly affirmed by the National Parks documentary that was released shortly after we got home. So, to honor this amazing naturalist, and continue my ongoing celebration of autumn I thought I’d share one of his poems with you all today. I hope you enjoy it and that any cares you have really will drift away like the autumn leaves.
Autumn days are here again!
In autumn when the trees are brown
The little leaves come tumbling down
They do not make the slightest sound
But lie so quietly on the ground
Until the wind comes puffing by
And blows them off towards the sky.
The winds will blow their own freshness into you,
and the storms their energy,
while cares will drop away from you
like the leaves of Autumn.
-John Muir