Wailing Woods

Wailing woods
We,lovely woods besides the lake,

Watch wistfully at the flights they take,

Sweet birds that chirped so far around.

Now to far off foreign  lands are bound.
From green to red and orange bright,

Our leaves have set the lake aflame,

But this is a glory of a day or two,

Leaves like tears are falling unashamed.
Chipmunks and squirrels are rarely seen,

Gone to the holes they filled up with seeds,

Bears and snakes slithering down,

A hibernating refuge do they take.
We stand here alone devoid of leaves,

That have made  a carpet of myriad hues,

To welcome the harsh winter with falling snow,

We stand lonely ,have nowhere  to go.
We wait patiently till our friends return,

From the lands all alien and long apart,

Birds from migration with love at toe,

After wandering too long too and fro.
Like old parents who stand with doors ajar,

With tear-filled eyes and hopeful hearts.

When new leaves like new hopes sprout,

Will be together with our dear tribe.

Sarita Khullar