settling by denise levertov

I was welcomed here—clear gold
of late summer, of opening autumn, 
the dawn eagle sunning himself on the highest tree, 
the mountain revealing herself unclouded, her snow 
tinted apricot as she looked west, 
Tolerant, in her steadfastness, of the restless sun 
forever rising and setting. 
Now I am given 
a taste of the grey foretold by all and sundry, 
a grey both heavy and chill. I've boasted I would not care, 
I'm London-born. And I won't. I'll dig in, 
into my days, having come here to live, not to visit. 
Grey is the price 
of neighboring with eagles, of knowing 
a mountain's vast presence, seen or unseen

• Begin your poem with the words: “I was welcomed here…”
  What welcomes you to autumn? Is it the sharpness in the air, the burnished leaves, the long shadows, or something subtler? Let the season greet you in its own way and see what images, colors, and sensations arrive.

• Every place asks something of us. Sometimes it’s patience with grey days, sometimes it’s distance from family, sometimes it’s the effort of belonging. In your journal, explore this question:
  What is the price you pay for living where you live?
  Is it heavy, or does it feel like a fair exchange for the beauty and wildness you receive in return?

• Winter is on the horizon, whether you dread or welcome it. Ask yourself:
  How am I preparing to greet it?
  Write about your rituals, your resistances, and the ways you ready your spirit, home, or body for the long nights and cold days ahead. Begin with: “Winter is coming, and I…”