November

With a sigh, I erased November from the whiteboard calendar yesterday.

I like November.

I like its rich barrenness.

I like November’s stark beauty: dried grasses studded with seed pods; trees unveiled and  silhouetted against an early red sky.

I like the chutzpah of pink and white cosmos stubbornly blooming until almost Thanksgiving. Next year, I will plant more cosmos.

I love the call of geese and the way you can hear ducks squeak as they fly overhead.

I love November’s respite, November’s invitation to hibernate.

November invites us to light candles, snuggle under a warm blanket, and drink a steaming cup of tea.

November invites us to come in early, to gather around the table with laughter and games, to linger by the fireplace.

Why go out after the sun goes down? It’s time to settle in.

I might just try hibernating in December as well. I like to stay in after dark.
© J.L. Sanborn 2015. All rights reserved.