The distant fragrances
Of forgotten apples
Of cooling wild grapes
Of fallen leaves crumbling

Envelop me

In the early dark
of October and--

There is no reason for this--

Make me turn my gaze
Just enough to take in

A white heron
Blessing the lake
With silence and flight.

Shadows darken.
Stars appear.

There is no looking back

No turning away

If you are the heron.

I've been doing a lot of dictionary work with the kids, and I have been loving it. Every word in our language has a story that takes us deep into another time and place. I found talisman to be irresistable:

Main Entry: tal·is·man
Pronunciation: \ˈta-ləs-mən, -ləz-\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural tal·is·mans
Etymology: French talisman or Spanish talismán or Italian talismano; all from Arabic ṭilsam, from Middle Greek telesma, from Greek, consecration, from telein to initiate into the mysteries, complete, from telos end — more at telos
Date: 1638
1 : an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune
2 : something producing apparently magical or miraculous effects
— tal·is·man·ic \ˌta-ləs-ˈma-nik, -ləz-\ adjective
— tal·is·man·i·cal·ly \-ni-k(ə-)lē\ adverb