Seasons Change

As summer turns to fall

And the leaves begin to turn

And the sun goes sets earlier

I feel equal parts delighted

And full of dread

When will the first leaf turn?

And the last leaf fall?

When will be our last park trip

What day will finally be too cold to sit on the porch

When will we trade shorts for pants

Then long sleeves for coats

When will snow boots take up all the space in our closet

I need to soak it all in

To drink up the sun like I can store it for the winter

“Go outside,” I say

“Winter is coming”

I’m not sure they know what they have until it’s gone

And even so

When summer arrives again

I won’t need to push him on the swing

Or hold her hand on the slide

The baby will be able to join in the toddling

Will tricycles be traded for bicycles

And trucks for baseballs?

So I don’t just mourn the end of a season

It’s not just summer that I beg to stay a little longer

While the sunshine will be greatly missed

It’s the summer that he was four

And the summer she was two

The summer that the baby took all her naps outside

Please stay a little longer summer

Let them stay little a few more days

Because who knows how big they will be

when you return

The same spot on the calendar

Yet altogether different