Once upon an Autumn

Crunch, crushes the leaf
the last breath bellows out, like a wave crashing down,
stepping over the lifeless leaf
running on,
the last breath bellows out, like a wave crashing down,
waiting silently
running on.
on the bridge from memory lane,
waiting silently.
playing with my family and playing with the leaves
when I was little, sitting on a bridge
on the bridge from memory lane,
playing with my family and playing with the leaves
when I was little, sitting on a bridge,
stepping over the lifeless leaf
playing with my family and playing with the leaves,
crunch, crushes the leaf

---
This poem was awarded First Place (Secondary) for Poetry Object 2016

Judge's Notes:
"What becomes immediately obvious in this accomplished poem is its use of sound effects. In the first line we get that marvellous play with cr, cr, ch, sh, for instance, as well as later on the part rhymes of ‘on’ with ‘down’. Another dextrous thing it does in the area of sounding is the use of repetitions that wind through the poem. Another thing the poem did for me that I admired, was the way it turned around ideas of cliché. Of course, ‘memory lane’ is a cliché but in this poem ‘memory lane’ becomes becomes a real place, somewhere we’ve all been. It’s as though it turns the phrase back to a time before it became over-used, where someone sat on a bridge after coming from this actual lane all the while playing with leaves. There is a real freshness here in this place; even though the leaves are ‘lifeless’ they still have a life of sound, and the poem has life in its playing with and turning over these ideas."
~ Jill Jones, Judge, Poetry Object 2016