Unearthly Glow

I swoop 'cross a land that's glowing strange,

Unlike the world I've come to know;

The normal scope of greens and greys

Filled out by yellow, orange, and brown;

An alien planet named November.

Even in mist and pouring wet,

This world shines with beauty quite unearthly.

Behind my glassy shield I mellow

And enjoy this 'horrid' day

In an unexplainable way.

These yellow leaves so luminous,

They almost mesmerise;

I know they are soon to blow

Across the cluttered ground,

Their brilliance sadly fleeting.

What fortune to see what so few will,

Penned as they are in office or home,

Or harried by delivery schedule;

For soon the gathering dark and cold,

Will take stark and lingering grip.

Best make the most of now,

In an alien dissonant glide;

'Stead of whingeing 'bout the rain,

So as to British 'style' maintain.

Sheer luck I'm not soaking at the bus stop.


I hope it's clear that this glowing rainy day is being enjoyed from behind the windscreen of the unsought company car I commute in. I am lucky enough to have a late start, hence drive in light traffic at a bright time of day, round 10:30. It's been a remarkably beautiful Autumn, due to the absence of high winds, which usually blow the leaves away.
My route up the A50 is fast and picturesque even in winter, very different from commuting across the city to Narborough as I used to, which was a hard grind of endless gear changes and red lights.
I'm actively working at being 'in the moment' when I drive, rather than engaging in unpleasant rumination, as was my former habit. This is in the spirit of The Weight of the World
an earlier effort, which represents the result of many years deliberation.
It's a strong tendency in this country to complain about rain as though it was some ghastly ordeal, even if we've only been exposed to a few seconds of it.
Not a good idea, as you can talk yourself into a blue mood by such habits.