There is such an intoxicating beauty to a crisp fall morning in Syracuse. The suffocating heat and humidity of the dog days of summer begin to subside. Cool nights and frosty mornings work their alchemy, transmuting the green leaves to crimson and gold.

The morning I was inspired to write this haiku, I was walking on State Street in front of the Everson Museum. It was a late October day. The sidewalk was carpeted with fallen leaves. I was enchanted by the sound of the leaves beneath my footsteps, their song beckoning me to take notice of their beauty.

I sat down on a bench and in gratitude wrote the haiku as a tribute to their blazing glory!