Early fall colors are matted down. flags are dead, stuck to their poles.
People hustle as they walk bent over in hoods that hide their faces.

Hours ago there was the sun and warmth, pretty leaves, smiles.

Hours before that I was young and the sun never went down.

Then my rains started and my head went down.
The rain left lines as it ran down my face
I couldn't walk as fast, I hid inside from storms that always found me.   
Faces I knew turned down to avoid the rain,
I cannot see them now from here except in pictures
Taken when the sun shone and we all could smile.

Yet there is a fire in our hearth and one face that smiles
Though she too had been out in the rain
Until we came in together and found a place to keep warm.
In that the rains have served us well.