Falling Circles

I've often seen this sculpture,

 outside the IU School of Optometry, I believe,

but only during the daytime. 

It never really grabbed my attention, 

looking just like a pile of tumbling circles. 

But at night the thing came alive for me, 

especially the way it looks here, 

against the lighted grid of the staircase.

Ribbed: Yellow Leaf on Grate

I just about fell over it, 

this yellow leaf 

fallen on the grating beneath it.

I saw it as I got off the bus downtown

and stopped mid-stride to take

its picture. My little camera

is usually always at hand,

either in my coat pocket or a tote,

and people had a confused look as I 

drew the little black object to record  - What?

Oh, well, it's fall, it's rainy and I liked

the way the little thing looked

against the shiny steel ribs

and the tan pebbles of the grate.

Hosta Preparing for Sleep

Lying cold and wet on the rusty colored mulch, 

the hosta somehow resembles a pair 

of pointy jester shoes. Wilted and nearly

transparent, the broad leaves prepare

for winter's sleep.

Cold Pansy

As I walked to the bus stop this afternoon, 

my attention was attracted by a spot of 

bright yellow among the fallen leaves. 

A pansy had chosen to bloom 

on this cold, rainy day, keeping its feeties

warm in the leaves while raising its

head to greet the chilly rainfall.

The Color Wheel

On a clear fall day, a wide expanse 

of blue sky provided the backdrop 

for this big maple tree, in the process 

illustrating the color wheel 

with a tapestry's swash of hues.

And, per Stefan's request,
the whole tree!

I'd thought it over and found I liked to see it
off-center just a bit, like myself.

It's Here. Damn.

As I look outside, the sun breaks through 

the cloud cover, looking like a brightly bleached 

spot on an otherwise dingy gray rag.

Oh, yeah, I know the first day of fall was nearly 

six weeks ago, but we've enjoyed fairly mild 

weather in the interim. Now, the temperatures are 

dropping - it's twenty degrees cooler than 

it was a week ago and I'm not happy.

It's only six weeks to the winter solstice,

when the days again start getting longer,

leaning towards spring and summer.

I'm counting the days.

Street Art: Blue Spots

Never mind that there's a painter out there, 

someone assigned to delineate the water lines, 

who can't quite hang on to his bucket.

This is a person with a unique skill, one who 

is able to strew sapphires across

the barren moon surface of a local sidewalk,

bringing depth and beauty to what would otherwise 

be ordinary blue paint and concrete.