Autumn in Albany California

My narrow bike wheel crunches through
a patchy frosting of tawn leaves
along San Pablo Avenue

The ornamental pear tree by my door
is prematurely reddish brown

But oh for bright red maple
yellow aspen orange chestnut
real cherries, apples, pears

Not this confusion
of manicured evergreens
with species existing only for
their unscented spring blossoms
and so as not to make a mess