Winter Takes Fall - Darren Hanlon

Today I left my house in shorts

But now I’m having second thoughts

Something’s not the same

The wind just called my name

So I stop to look around

Maybe it was just sleight of sound

It’s just me and my bare knees

Powerlines and trees

But one hint is more than enough

It starts with a sniffle and a cough

When posters have stopped falling off my wall

The winter takes fall

All of these past regrets

Are faded signs of missing pets

It’s time for moving on

Everyone else has gone

Eyes a red pattern like the labyrinthine streets of Cairo

Feeling as used as a bank biro

My cylinder inside

Has dried

Warmer months I’m more at home

It’s easier to be alone

Why don’t I just pick up the phone and call?

The winter kills fall

And all of these fledglings that you’ve found

And given homes

Will hunger for the new

And colourful

A signal from your eyes could save me

They shone like car keys to a baby

Should I settle for romance?

Or practice disco dance

These gatherings are fraught with dangers

The conversation chops and changes

I wish us away in our mangers

A crowded room but total strangers all

The winter takes fall