Autumn is the middle child, of Mother Moon and Father Sun
She is less cold and harsh than her sister Winter
Less feisty and forward than her sister Summer
She is less gentle and kind as her sister Spring
And while she is not physically the only middle child
She shares that title with her fraternal twin Spring
She is the middle of all her family,
Occasionally gentle like Mommy and Spring,
Sometimes feisty like Daddy and Summer,
She can even be harsh, on her bad days, like the eldest child, Winter
Do you see now, why Autumn is different?
Special?
In the middle?
She even goes by Fall, a nickname that Aunt Earth gave her
All those years ago
Before Auntie got sick
And Mommy got sad
Because Daddy made the flowers shun her
And Summer came home to visit later each year
And Winter stayed too long
Because her husband Frost hit her
And Spring came to tend the garden and left
And now Autumn is all but invisible