Murphy's Woods / Late Autumn by Richard D. Houff

Murphy’s Woods

Clouds undress over the pond

and flowers stroll

along the edge

A modest leaf curls

—floats away

Cattails and water lilies recite

on the superfluous in modern verse

A mechanical doll

plays a flawless harp

to an audience of leopard frogs

Late Autumn

I am thankful for the tree as backrest and wind-block,

and the sun warming my face

Today, the wind is unkind,

stripping color from tree and hedge

Nat King Cole is singing “September Song”

with George Shearing’s accompanying piano

from a parked car on 42^nd Street

The song fades with a sustained note

from Shearing, and the music comes to an end

like the season; racing away with a flotilla of leaves

Richard D. Houff currently lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. His poetry and prose has been published in Brooklyn Review, Chiron Review, Midwest Quarterly, Rattle, and many fine magazines throughout the U.S. and Europe. There are three recent collection of poetry: Night Watch and Other Hometown Favorites (Black Cat Moon Press, 2016), The Wonderful farm and Other Gone Poems (Flutter Press, 2017), Adventures In Space and Other Selected Casualties (Alien Buddha Press, 2018).