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Autumn by Grace Paley

Autumn

by Grace Paley

1

What is sometimes called a
tongue of flame
or an arm extended burning
is only the long
red and orange branch of
a green maple
in early September   reaching
into the greenest field
out of the green woods   at the
edge of which the birch trees
appear a little tattered   tired
of sustaining delicacy
all through the hot summer   re-
minding everyone (in
our family) of a Russian
song   a story
by Chekhov   or my father

2

What is sometimes called a
tongue of flame
or an arm extended   burning
is only the long
red and orange branch of
a green maple
in early September   reaching
into the greenest field
out of the green woods   at the
edge of which the birch trees
appear a little tattered   tired
of sustaining delicacy
all through the hot summer   re-
minding everyone (in
our family) of a Russian
song   a story by
Chekhov or my father on
his own lawn   standing
beside his own wood in
the United States of
America   saying (in Russian)
this birch is a lovely
tree   but among the others
somehow superficial

Related posts:

1. 5 nice things about autumn
2. A poem for mid-November
3. A poem for Becca