Autumn’s Grove: A poem by Mike Cole

He watched the leaves turn and he found his grove

He lit a fire and watched it grow.

As the leaves fluttered, the wind bit.

So it blew as it did and darkness came.

And yet he had that little light, which held on oh so bright.

So when the trees began to sway, he closed his eyes gently…

Saying goodbye to the day.


This poem was the winner for the end of poetry month. Of my drafted poems this one is the most sound. Mentally, I’ve taken a nosedive the last couple months and this poem is a reflection of that. It represents my personal struggle trying to keep what little light I have left from going out. It is a poem about the unchangeable and of gentle rest that might come from the unexpected. Where in one instance one might fear the wind blowing out the fire in another instance it can also soothe and calm; it can be both of these things at the same time. Autumn is my season and where I find the most comfort and where I long to go. There is a sense of wandering where and only once the leaves have turned after a long journey may one find their peace.


And that’s it! May is Mental Health Awareness Month! I have a few articles planned so stay tuned in the coming weeks for what’s ahead!

Without You: A poem by Mike Cole

You were the tide as the waves came to shore

And as the waves lapse, it makes me sad that I can’t see you anymore.

Your ship is now far out at sea

No lighthouse to guide you, no place to be.

Perhaps there is land beyond my horizon,

But for now, I must wait, on this sandy shore.


To end the month of April, a poem about my father. Here, I conjure up images of a life that was never meant to be, of a past best left forgotten. My father was a sailor for most of his life, taking to the sea to escape the realities of everyday life. I never was one much for sailing but can understand why my father loved it so much. There is something freeing about being on the open water, an experience I yearn for as I try not to be trapped by the mundane. My father passed away in 2019 so this is my ode to him. It is a poem about longing for what cannot be, as I stand on sandy shores looking out to sea. It speaks to my admiration of my father as a child, what now seems so distant a memory. Lighthouses guide lost ships that cannot find harbor, and the tragedy lies in that my father drifted too far out to sea.

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