September, can you really be here now? Can you really be ushered in with rain and cooler days. Can you really make me say goodbye to summer? I am not ready for you yet. I am not ready for the flurry of activity in the morning and afternoon into evenings. September you are a fresh start to the year, yet that new year is supposed to be in January but here you are saying, "new schedules, new clothes, new books, new,new,new." A new chance to set goals you say.  September let me just slow down and ease into your season. Let me grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the mornings of sweaters and socks, but you say "quick the bus, the lunch, the sports gear." "Quick, the grocery store, the dentist, the dance class." "Quick you say the leaves are falling, the flowers have faded, the evening is descending earlier." No please, let's slow down I beg you September.  I don't want to see Halloween stuff or Thanksgiving stuff and definitely not Christmas stuff. Let's slow down and crunch the leaves as we walk down the sidewalk. Let's eat the zucchini still growing in the garden. Let's take time to wait for the train to pass counting all the cars. Let's still wear shorts and soak up the last warm rays of sunshine as we walk through the grass in our bare feet because we pealed off our socks at lunch.  Let's still enjoy the little bit of summer left and not charge in like a bull. September each year it seems as though you dash in quickly throwing around to do lists.  Let me ease into you, just dipping my toe in little by little getting used to the waves of activity, but that isn't you is it September.  You are a demanding month, roaring and eager and shouting.  You wash over me as a giant wave in the ocean sweeping me along whether I want to or not, laughing saying "Ready or not, here we go."  So I take a deep breath and jump into you, realizing that somehow I'll come out swimming along with everyone else.