POEM OF THE MONTH OCTOBER 2025:
AUTUMN IS A GRAVEYARD THAT BLOOMS
The forest exhales in rust and ember,
every leaf a quiet surrender.
They fall like names I’ve stopped speaking,
soft as the dust that settles on photographs.
The wind carries the scent of something ending,
apples rotting sweetly in the tall grass,
smoke from a fire no one will claim.
The pond mirrors the sky’s gray bruise,
ripples swallowing what light is left.
I step over roots that reach
like old hands from the earth,
their grip loosening with the season.
Even the trees know they can’t hold forever.
Somewhere beneath the soil,
seeds sleep in the company of bones,
dreaming of spring
while the world above them
learns how to die beautifully.
About the Poet: May Garner
May Garner is a poet and author based out of Dayton, Ohio. She has been dedicated to crafting and sharing her work online for over a decade. She is the author of two poetry collections, “Withered Rising” and “Melancholic Muse.” Her work has also appeared in Querencia Press, Cozy Ink Press, Arcana Poetry Press, and the Ohio Bards. Find her work on Instagram (@crimson.hands).