my first carriage ride*
Departing is the summer's balmy air
to welcome cracking cold and falling leaves.
Before we left my my mother'd taken care
to fasten on my mittens to my sleeves.

The foliage was bright, the air was brisk
I walked between my parents faint-clenched hands
and watched the business people rush and whisk
to work. But we were there with different plans:

My poppa propped me up into the car.
the horses both were brown and standing stiff
but like the whirling leaves of fall thus far
My nerves were buzzing crazy. Then a whiff

of something as the carriage moved along
I could not hold my breath for quite that long.