softly the petals of a flower fall
landing upon the slowly browning earth
a chill starting to take hold in the air
the last vestiges of summer drifting away

one lone bloom fighting to remain upright
it’s not death it resists, but the long days of sleep
the forced hibernation the cold weather brings
the endless cycle of rising and falling

yet this one stubborn bloom
holds out for the last chance at warmth
hoping that the chill is just for one day
and not everlasting