Looking out the windows of my house,

I see masses of red and gold.

Yesterday the trees were magnificent—

thanks to the wind.

Today the colors are everywhere,

scattered across my world.

Now I’m not seeing the leaves.

I’m seeing treasured memories,

scattered here, there, everywhere—

each a piece of days forever gone,

wrapped in its own shell.

I’m the squirrel,

breaking them open, being nourished,

as more and more pieces of my life

blow away in the wind.

Betty Moorhead moved to Washington in 2000 to be closer to her children, and now widowed, she has been a member of a Lakewood writers group for 13 years.

SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).

SHARING STORIES is featured on http://www.northwestprimetime.com, the website for Northwest Prime Time, a monthly publication for baby boomers, seniors, retirees, and those contemplating retirement. The newspaper can be found in the greater Seattle area and other Puget Sound locations. For more information, call 206-824-8600 or visit http://www.northwestprimetime.com. To find other SHARING STORIES articles on this website type “sharing stories” in the search function above.