Autumnal equinox, Sept. 22, 2025,
Northern hemisphere

Today I imagine Western monarchs
born in late summer packing their
tiny bags, preparing to head south

for Mexico or Southern California,
seeking warm spots, trusting their
spot-on radar to guide them to

just-right trees where their fellow
travelers have begun to cluster,
piling on in a massive wingéd cuddle,

not eating or mating, conserving
energy through the cold months.
I prepare for the inward turn

as both hemispheres are equally
brightened by sun today, grateful
to those harvesting the fruits of fall,

apples and pears still ripening,
the figs and late-season plums
and melons, the trees preparing

to release their canopies. But,
like the butterflies, the trees,
the hibernators, humans, too,

must move into dormancy, wait
till our star stretches its rays
and our home planet tilts

sunward again. Then we’ll
shake out our wings, make
test flights to survey how

the world has changed
before making our way back
to where we started, which,

no matter how tidy we left it,
never looks exactly as we
remember, but, with luck,

welcomes our fluttering hearts,
the place all the more beautiful
for the coming home.