Thank you, God,
for the wild and sun-drenched fields
where asters lean, a palette
of lavender and blue
where goldenrod blazes
it’s resplendent joy from within the fading green

Thank you, Lord, for the crispness in the air
and for mornings arriving
wrapped in the cool breath of the earth

For the way each leaf now burnished and bright
turns and flips and tumbles to the ground
in an exquisitely performed gymnastics routine

Thank you for the smell of wet leaves
and tree branches
the musky incense of the wind
twisting its way through the yellowing reeds

For the rustle of Quaking Aspen leaves
underfoot—
a sound like whispered prayers
rising up to meet you

Thank you for the way the light slants lower
lingering on the hillsides
bringing delight to the leaves still clinging to branches
and making every shadow a deeper shade
of mystery

For the way the seasons shift—
how even in this dying
there is a singular beauty
turning the heart
toward praise

And above all thank you God
for the quiet invitation of autumn—
come see
come breathe in
come gather each fleeting moment
like a treasure held in the open palm

of grace