‘Tis autumn
And the blood of God
Pools in root that sleeps
Amidst worm and toadstool
Vain woman
Autumn swirls her air
Leaf plucked from trees
Of Saint Anthony’s Fire
And they scream from the bleachers
Every first down
Sep 19, 2025
Sep 19, 2025 at 9:07 AM UTC
‘Tis autumn
And the blood of God
Pools in root that sleeps
Amidst worm and toadstool
Vain woman
Autumn swirls her air
Leaf plucked from trees
Of Saint Anthony’s Fire
And they scream from the bleachers
Every first down
I recently joined a group of aging amateur poets who meet monthly at our town’s library. At the conclusion of each meeting a writing theme is selected for the next gathering. This month the theme is Autumn. Duh, isn’t that original.
I was completely uninspired for a couple weeks; finally this came. Saint Anthony’s Fire is the archaic term for ergot poisoning which causes gangrene. Ergot is a fungi which in the Middle Ages grew somewhat commonly on improperly stored grains. The unfortunate, as a result of eating bread, could actually have their fingers and nose drop off.
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