Two takes on describing perceptions of a drive through the park, and thinking about the word "transcendent, " which came to my awareness listening to Colin Powell's best speech of his life.

Autumn afternoon in the forest

Your love brightens my heart
Like the sun setting on an October afternoon
dapples the golden leaves.

We are beautiful, those leaves and I
Until touched by that light, by that love.
Then we become transcendent.

No longer ordinary yellow leaves
We are glorious. We are golden.
We shine. We dance.
We glow. We are radiant.

We reach for the joyous touch
Of warming love, golden rays,
and become more than we are.


Autumn afternoon in the forest

The oak forest sits still in the quiet fall afternoon,
The canopy full of yellow brown leaves.
As the setting sun dips to an acute angle
The tree tops catch warm golden rays.

Suddenly, the dull fall leaves burst into a new dimension.
They transcend yellow.
They transcend leaves.

The light touches the leaves and gives them life.
Each leaf becomes radiant, glorious
As if encrusted in diamonds.
The entire forest shines and dances
In the gentle touch of the setting sun.