Quicksilver
by Mildred Keiser
You can't hold magic in your hands
Or touch a memory
Or lock a sunset in a room
Where it will always be.
But when you see Autumn* start,
If you are one like me,
You want the shining afternoons
To last for all eternity.
You want the sumac's splash of fire
And soft winds to ever blow;
And though the splendor breaks your heart,
You cannot let it go.
You want each glorious day preserved;
You long to hold them fast;
Your soul oftentimes yearns to keep
Those things that cannot last.
*I've exchanged October for Autumn. OH