The Fruits of Last Autumn

Hanging on the tree, empty
the fruits of last autumn
the cones hanging
husks upon the branches
under the limbs of green

Reminders of the seeds
that recently were disbursed
falling like rain drops
spreading on the wind
to find new homes again


May 4, 2010
Pembroke Village School
Pembroke, NH



Copyright by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010. Contact me at Ray Foss
for usage.

The Crunch of the needles

Dry in the forest
before the first snowfall
the leaves of autumn
heavy on the ground

The barrenness of November
hastened by the cold windstorm
the rain staying south of us
watering another land

The crunch of the needles
the branches, the pine cones
the colored leaves of the woodlands
under my feet

The pitch sticking
soles of my boots heavy
a skin of needles
making them slippery
as I hike on the hidden trail


April 16, 2010
written in the school lobby
while waiting to be called in
for National Poetry Month presentation
Mrs. Forest’s 3rd grade class
Pembroke Hill School
Pembroke, NH
April 16, 2010
about a walk in the woods
in Claremont, NH, Fall 1977
(and my memory of other such walks)

Copyright by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Contact me at Ray Foss
for usage.

A Hemlock Bouquet

Destruction of the wind storm,
strewn over his driveway, his yard,
into the neighbor’s yard too
but oh so beautiful
in the morning light

Pointing them out,
the perfect little cones
hanging heavy on each bough
as we walked to school

A direction, urgent, important
that I must make of them
a hemlock bouquet
gathered and cut
for mom’s dining room table


March 3, 2010
Suncook, NH



Copyright by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Contact me at Ray Foss
for usage.