September

September
by Linda Pastan

it rained in my sleep
and in the morning the fields were wet

I dreamed of artillery
of the thunder of horses

in the morning the fields were strewn
with twigs and leaves

as if after a battle
or a sudden journey

I went to sleep in the summer
I dreamed of rain

in the morning the fields were wet
and it was autumn

"September" by Linda Pastan, from Carnival Evening: New and Selected Poems 1968-1998. © W.W. Norton & Company, 2009. Reprinted without permission, but I hope she doesn't mind because it's such a lovely poem and I enjoyed reading it and really wanted to share it in my world. (buy now)

The Wars of Ashurbanipal

The empire inherited by Ashurbanipal (668-627 BC) extended from northern Egypt to the borders of Iran. The main campaigns fought during his reign were recorded on wall panels in his throne room and elsewhere.

When I read this poem many visuals come to mind. Change seems the overwhelming theme, both violent as in war and subtle as waking from sleep. As the earth changes seasons, so does ones life, both linked in time. I watch the leaves drop from the tree outside my window and wonder how my life will play with the new season approaching. I look forward to the swimming of my life and dreams.