Autumn

There is something about Autumn mornings that makes them feel special but what it is I don't know. It isn't the frost on the ground because we don't get that here in the Tokyo area. It's not the putrid smell of gingko nuts because that was never a part of English Autumn. The only thing I can think of is the quality of light at dawn; the awakening brilliance of Summer replaced by a yellow that appears warmer than the actual temperature.

That is not to say Iam a morning person. I am dependent upon coffee to get me through the door in order to even experience the season. However, once awake, the weather, light and slowly changing foliage have me looking up at the sky and the treetops.

Last week I taught a college girl who had four-leaved clovers and yellow gingko leaves in her diary. It is comforting to know that even amid Tokyo, dwelling in concrete, steel and glass, there are people who value the timeless and unrelenting changes imposed on the planet.

She gave me one of her clovers.

"Are you sure?" I asked, knowing that while they cost nothing they are not without value.

"Yes, because I can share good luck."

The clover is now in the back of my diary.