According to the calendar, autumn doesn’t officially begin for a few more weeks. However, ask Hallmark or Target, or any other retail/entertainment establishment, and they’ll tell you differently — including Starbucks, who rolled out their infamous PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte) on August 24th!
I sit in the camp of early fall, as in, I may have already bought a new Halloween sweater; I may also have been burning autumn candles… In the NE U.S., the air is beginning to lose it’s “hell’s front porch” feeling, the nights are beginning to cool off, and – AND – the return of all things cozy is sneaking upon us! Wahoo! What’s not to love!
The podcaster/author Brian Earl of Christmas Past says we are entering the “ber” months this time of year: September, October, November, December; I love the images, conjured. The change of seasons, in general, tends to bring an excitement in the air, but even the thought that fall is approaching sends the world into a pumpkin-spiced tizzy. Deep down inside, what it is that we all lovvvvve about fall? Well, going back across the centuries, it is in autumn where the bounty and harvests are enjoyed; humans literally were reaping in their harvested abundance. And we still are.
So then, embarking on autumn is embarking on abundance— and abundance for many of us also means safety. Security. Hence all those things that smell and taste like autumn to us, also feel like safety and security. Hmmm…
We don’t all like Pumpkin Spice Lattes, I get it, but we all do enjoy the abundance of food and drink that seems to proliferate during the “ber” months. Starbucks knows this. And so do the rest of us, apparently, which is why even my local mechanic shop changes their flashing sign to say something along the lines of, “We Have Pumpkin Spice Brake Pads.” (I nearly spit out my coffee the first time I saw it!) Whatever autumn means to you, I sincerely hope it’s filled with warmth, connection, and those things that bring you comfort. 🧡🧡
I couldn’t stand it anymore and may have raced to Starbucks to get my first Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew of the season, and this is the ridiculous nonsense that poured out of my brain. Hahaha… I said “poured” lol.
I sit on ceremony
dear Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew:
yes, you are cold
and not a fuzzy warmness in my tummy,
but you satisfy a space in my stomach-heart
nonetheless.
even though you are chilly
in my belly you still fill-y,
that warm, cozy feeling
that is autumn.
the cinnamon-y abundance in my cup
tastes like a love-explosion!
and if I’m lucky
I’ll hold onto that cozy feeling in my bones.
with every delicious sip
I am reminded
of never-ending generosity
inside each human spirit — each barista.
I’m gonna need another, please
L.S. 2023
Photo taken at breakfast with fellow “pumpkin b*!ches.”
laurie sliben, writer 