Who Leaves A Churchyard

As he walked past the churchyard

     It was upon the dying

     that his meandering mind

     lingered and then faltered

at his own name inscribed

the fall was late as the last leaves

     fell upon the woodland floors

     the emerald had long changed

     and the flair of autumn’s color was muted; faded  

like the stories behind the headstones

the mourners were all gone to other places

     the graveyard digger was with his wife

     and the geese overhead were flying someplace else

he had always mused with the notion of pain in dying

though now  - it was more a bittersweet taste to ponder