The summer drowns in shades of green
September blue seeps in between
you’re brushed and scrubbed and pure and clean
a sacrifice to bus fifteen

leave me in your wide-eyed world, your spinning, giggling, bright sky world
of crayola suns and fire-fly nights
you holy thing, amazing Grace, standing at the edge
of the driveway, the world spinning, unstoppable

I hear the growl of the yellow beast
of all goodbyes, pray this hurt least
no tears you shed, no sadness seen
you climb the steps of bus fifteen

four years ago, you waved at me from the carousel
your mother holding you on the prettiest horse
its mouth grinning in rapture, the other horses turning their jealous heads
away, circling, spinning, unstoppable

The summer drowns in shades of green
September blue seeps in between
too soon it seems for this scene
a leaf falls, yellow, spinning, unstoppable