The orange glow
of an early autumn dawn
embraces the wetlands
where the silhouette
of a sandhill crane
catches my eye,
with the silence of night
broken at last
by the chatter of sparrows,
happily greeting
the sun about to rise.
Flocks of geese flap their wings
in jubilation.
Yellow finches, meanwhile,
gather on reeds before me
as the echo of a croaking frog
teases my sense of sound.
The slightest chill and
fresh scent in the air
signal autumn has arrived.

I stand alone
on the edge of these wetlands,
my camera ready,
and yet
I realize no picture
will capture
the exhilaration I feel at this moment
as nature awakens
in all its magnificent glory.