To Be Thankful For

Autumn bid goodbye
the other day,
the vibrant hues gone.
A hazy misty morning
heralds the start of winter.
The absence of the foliage
defines a landscape 
barren and dreary.
I sighed upon seeing 
the dullness around,
but was I not being unfair?
Can we reverse Nature’s law
as the seasons roll on 
from one to the next?
Between the naked branches 
of the river birch tree, 
the sun beams, 
the yellow glittering ball.
That is a cause
enough to smile.
For I have woken up today
to see the golden rays.
Ingratitude is what plagues us.
We the human race
hunting for a chance 
to fret and complain
when we need to join our hands
with thanks to the Savior! 
I pause to ponder, 
and it dawns upon me
what I need 
to be grateful for.
On the threshold of Thanksgiving 
and every day,
should I not count my blessings?
The love and laughter
have graced me.
Through the tears,
I have found the joys as well,
celebrations to rejoice.
A family holds me
through thick and thin.
The countless friends,
be it the one at a stone’s throw
or those a thousand miles away,
shower the caring warmth.
Walking through the storms of illness,
I have seen the light 
at the tunnel’s end.
Fallen have I 
through the jolts and bumps
to rise again.
These and many more
have given me reasons
to be thankful for.
And may I look 
beyond the starkness,
as the future promises 
a picturesque scene!
“If Winter comes, 
can Spring be far behind?”
said the poet 
from the days of yore.
The pretty blooms, 
the clothed branches,
the grass so tender green,
the symphony of birds
will once again
make this earth 
a colorful paradise.
So in prayerful reverence I bow
To the Divine,
To the Universe,
To be me, 
and to be alive.