Chestnuts

 Chestnuts Gathered on a Country Road

 

Chestnuts

Today, I walked down an old country road in Connecticut,

the same road where Sybil Ludington once road her horse

to warn farmers of the British burning the city of Danbury, 

a chestnut of a tale that is, but local families report it as truth.

 

An azure blue sky with wisps of clouds and a lovely breeze  

wafted through my slightly wavy hair as yellowing leaves 

waved back at me, as if they were smiling a friendly ‘hello.’ 

Some of the leaves having met their time of tumbling, danced

on the breeze, oh yes, more Prayers Answered! Thank you, God!

 

Then, my eyes caught a view of fallen chestnuts, a nice collection!

The winds and rains from the day before must’ve nudged them 

out of their spiny husks, for there they lay, just waiting for me

to admire their shiny, reddish-brown shells, gather them up, 

and celebrate another year with roasting chestnuts on an open fire. 

 

Some refer to old, favorite songs or hymns as ‘chestnuts,’ 

and isn’t it grand to begin a new season of autumn this way ~

with newly fallen chestnuts, singing old, favorite chestnuts, 

remembering old chestnut tales of courage and devoted love? 

 

© Jeanne I. Lakatos