Prose Poem: Drunken Autumn

November 18, 2025 yanfei3001

Far away

I don't know how to describe the beauty of autumn.

When something is extremely beautiful, does it feel intoxicating?

Is it the kind that seeps into your heart, deep into your blood,

A feeling of euphoria, forgetting all your troubles?

It's autumn. Every breath, every smile and frown of autumn,

It gave me that “drunk” feeling,

That indescribable, overwhelming intoxication...

The beauty of autumn is not singular.

Not the novelty of spring, nor the intensity of summer,

but a mix of clouds and wind,

A symphony of the sky and autumn leaves.

A natural scroll painted with color from head to toe!

Autumn has a mature depth, a weathered grandeur.

There is more of a summation and attachment to life.

Equanimity and composure towards regression,

Whisper gently to winter:Your turn!

Autumn's beauty is not ethereal, nor is it dreamlike,

but rather thick, unadorned,

Ubiquitous and readily available.

Clear blue sky, soft white clouds.

The air filled with fruit fragrance, mixed with the earthy scent of autumn insects.

All are gifts from autumn's beauty.

It's all of autumn's promise to spring and summer.

Interpretation of weathering storms:

After persistence comes reward!

Thus, autumn is always praised as the season of harvest,

“The evening rain breaks the red pomegranate, and the new autumn makes the green taro plump.

“Remember this: the best scenery of the year is when oranges turn yellow and tangerines turn green.”

Ancient poets' praise of autumn.

Autumn's beauty is not timid, it is not shy,

but fearless, inclusive.

The flowers have faded and withered away, and the autumn colors have diminished into cold winter.

Therefore, autumn is often metaphorically associated with myriad melancholy and sadness.

“You ask when I will return, but there is no set date.

The autumn pond swells with the night rain of Bashan.

“The qiang flute plays endlessly, frost covers the ground, I cannot sleep,

The general's hair is white, the soldier's tears fall.

“Autumn has ended, the days are still long,

Zhong Xuan's longing for the distant is even more desolate.

Du Fu, in the opening of his "Eight Poems of Autumn," even used

“The jade dew withers and wounds the maple forest, the misty mountains and gorges are bleak.”

The two sentences depict a scene of all things withering and decaying,

A scene of bleak and desolate autumn.

Indeed, autumn's beauty is short,

Those brightly colored red leaves were swept away by the autumn wind,

Wetted by the autumn rain, quickly covered by winter snow.

Meld into the soil.

But Autumn is not afraid

Her maturity is enough to bear the hardships of life.

Her courage is enough to face ordinary life after all the glamour fades.

To welcome winter,

Autumn sheds its ornate attire, washes away its makeup. Autumn, like a great mother,

For the growth of children,

Willing to hide away the “skirt” of youth,

Willingly let the wind and rain change my appearance, and bend my body.

Because she knew:

So as not to be strangled by the harsh winter next spring,

She has to work hard to get everything ready.

Even if it means no longer being beautiful.

Therefore, a mother is always beautiful!

A mother's beauty is the beauty of carrying the life within;

A mother's beauty is a fearless beauty that achieves life.

A mother's beauty is one of inclusiveness, one of steadfast strength.

She won't be sad that her youthful bloom has faded.

Nor do you need to lament lost beauty,

Because their love for their children is above all else.

So, I will never regret the passing of youth,

Never anxious about the fading of one's beauty.

Because my youth was spent in the continuation of years,

The continuation of years nourishes new life.

My son.

So, I cherish every season of life.

Enjoy the different movements of each season.

Isn't the beauty of autumn an extreme beauty?

Is there anything more intoxicating than ultimate beauty?

I don't drink to get drunk, but autumn truly intoxicates me!

Reveling in autumn, I wish to become a cloud,

A maple leaf, a ray of setting sun...

醉

秋

Photo Credit:Some photos in this article were provided by Mr. Yousif Albeer

Author Biography

Chinese-Canadian female writer Bifang, member of the Writers' Union of Canada, founder of Skyky Publishing House, chair of the Skyky Multicultural Foundation, and recipient of the Order of Canada.
She has authored and published 52 illustrated storybooks for children. Her bilingual Chinese-English illustrated books are collected by several public libraries in Canada. She has held autograph signing events at major bookstore chains in Toronto multiple times, and her works have been adapted into stage plays and ballet performances. She pioneered the “Children Write Books for Children” aspiring author program, which provides personalized training for children with storytelling talent, discovering a group of exceptionally gifted young authors. She has also participated in numerous book donation initiatives with organizations and schools, and for Indigenous communities. She has conducted multiple charity reading events at libraries, receiving high recognition from local parents, children, and the community.

Appendix: Shikaiqi Publishing House

Every opened book / is a beautiful shining window

World Open Wonders Culture Publishing Company is a North American organization that provides a platform for book creation, editing, publishing, and promotion for children. It offers a stage for young children who love story writing and drawing to achieve their dreams.

A child, a childhood, an original book written by themselves, and a growing memory shared with parents.

Our Services

－

Author Biography

You May Also Like