Between the Last Leaf and the First Ice
Written for the “Sound of First Frost” Challenge—capturing the hush, scent, and shimmer of the instant when autumn yields to winter.
The air has changed—
you can hear it before you see it.
The wind moves slower now,
brushing the edges of the world
as if afraid to wake it.
________***
A single leaf skims across the road,
its papery whisper echoing like memory.
The trees stand taller, emptied—
their bark breathing out smoke-cold sighs.
Every sound stretches thin—
the creak of a gate,
the distant bark of a dog,
the hush between them
as the earth listens to itself.
________***
The light tastes different too—
muted gold fading into pewter.
You can feel it on your tongue,
that faint metallic promise of frost.
It smells like cedar and endings,
like firewood stacked for confession.
Somewhere, a pond tightens
under its first thin skin of glass,
and the water beneath
remembers movement in silence.
________***
Touch is sharper now.
Even your breath feels edged,
turning to mist that lingers too long.
The grass beneath your boots
crackles with secret laughter—
a brittle kind of joy.
________***
And in this breath between seasons,
everything stands still
just long enough to realize
it’s changing.
***
About the Creator
Aarsh Malik
Poet, Storyteller, and Healer.
Sharing self-help insights, fiction, and verse on Vocal.
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Comments (8)
Loved it. Any nature ode appeals to me.
Wow, the imagery here is beautiful. I love “firewood stacked for confession.”
Beautifully written, the sense of your Writting here is truly beautiful, perfect wording and vision about autumn love this can not wait to see more of your work thank you.
Strong imagery and emotions. You convey skillfully, with sensory brushstrokes, the inner feelings that accompany autumn. 😊💕
Nice!! An excellent entry for the challenge!😊💕
I like how you incorporated so many senses in your writing. It really brought it to life.
This whole thing is great but everything from “light tastes different too….” To “remembers movement in silence” was especially beautiful. Good work!
This is a beautiful poem. I particularly love "...everything stands still just long enough to realize it’s changing." That stillness is haunting.