Time Has Numbered My Days

There's a chill in the morning air, making it just that much harder to leave the cozy fort of blankets piled on the bed each night. A bitterness at night as I walk back home in the dark--a few dead leaves crunching underfoot and a chill breeze that promises more autumn signs are to come even as I wrap my arms a little tighter about myself. Sometimes fall seems colder than winter as we watch the flora die and our bodies register the shock of shorter, cooler days that are as sudden as a tumble into a mountain stream. Our hearths aren't yet filled with roaring fires; our bellies still await holiday feasts and seasonal goodies. We leave our homes in sweaters and socks and wish we had coats and boots after the sun has set. Fall is the first shiver down your spine...