A Dance in the Autumnwood (22 September 2013)

There’ll be a Dance in the Autumnwood tonight_
Sensuous thought in the Mooning Light!
There’ll be a Dance in the Autumnwood tonight_
Down by the Stream where the Deer take Flight!

Every breath_
Every Spark of Light_ 
    every cricket
singing death’s hallelujahs 
    into the dark of night!
Every toadstool mouldering_
Every spirit playing_
Every luminous sod
Shining in the mulch
Says:

There’ll be a Dance in the Autumnwood tonight_
Sensuous thought in the Mooning Light!
There’ll be a Dance in the Autumnwood tonight_
Down by the Stream where the Deer take Flight!

Every breath_
Every nibbling hare_
Every grasshopper
flying in the frosted air
tasting its own chilled flesh_
Every puddle shimmering
in the morning glare_
ice cracking under a walker’s feet_
Every whispering pumpkin_
declares:

There’ll be a Dance in the Autumnwood tonight_
Sensuous thought in the Mooning Light!
There’ll be a Dance in the Autumnwood tonight_
Down by the Stream where the Deer take Flight!

Every Breath_
every denuded bough_
every swimming salmon
laughing at mortal dross
in the shallow pools;
Every harvester in the fields_
every nut and seed
dying to be born again_
every chrysanthemum
in its composite glory_

chants:

There’ll be a Dance in the Autumnwood tonight_
Sensuous thought in the Mooning Light!
There’ll be a Dance in the Autumnwood tonight_
Down by the Stream where the Deer take Flight!
Nema!