Autumn is like a young maiden in her prime. It brings gentle breezes, sometimes enough to make us feel a chill, prompting us to secretly long for a hand to hold. Autumn is the season of falling golden leaves, evoking nostalgia and yearning for the past, yet still holding us back with optimism and hope, preventing us from falling into despair.

As autumn arrives, the falling leaves serve as a reminder that time continues its cyclical rhythm, seasons follow seasons, and we are gradually leaving behind so many meaningful things we haven't yet realized, so many unfulfilled plans, and even the impulsiveness and naivety of our youth...

The golden leaves sway in the early morning breeze... (Illustrative image: qdnd.vn)

This year, as the leaves fall from the branches, in my hometown village nestled in the low-lying rice paddies of Kinh Bac, gentle faces disappear amidst the soft rustling of falling autumn leaves. Gone is the hunched figure of the old woman who used to be by the gate opposite, her constant companion, her pushcart, its wheels clattering against the narrow, time-worn lane as she waited at the afternoon market. And gone is the dignified figure, the white hair, the carefree, hearty laughter of the retired army colonel across the fence, who always smiled and asked me, "Did your parents come with you?" whenever I visited my hometown.

Having started a new life far from home, every time my mother hears that a neighbor has passed away, she sighs and murmurs, reminiscing about familiar faces now faded from memory. She recalls the hardships of the past: the days of torrential rain and biting winds, the thick smoke from cooking rice in the small kitchen stinging her eyes; the times of scarcity when neighbors borrowed rice from each other to get by; the times of help in times of need... A time of extreme poverty and hardship, but a time of abundant human kindness.

The seasons quietly drift by, and people's figures follow one another along with them. Some figures evoke a pang of nostalgia. Others remind us to slow down, to share, to be patient, and to be tolerant, because time still stretches endlessly ahead...

In the countryside garden, grapefruit hangs heavily on the branches, evoking the image of a perfectly round moon, shining brightly on the Mid-Autumn Festival night, with the sound of frog drums, the excited chatter of children eagerly awaiting the feast. In the corner of the garden, the starfruit blossoms still ache with a poignant purple. The jute mallow plants, their leaves withered after a bountiful season, are laden with dry, round fruits, a promise for the next. The long bean vines are also fading... Reality calls to memory. Somewhere, it seems as if the old bean vines of yesteryear still remain, with their clusters of deep purple flowers and countless flat pods – the kind of beans I've been searching for on my country paths for so long, yet haven't found again. The fluttering red dragonflies draw the footsteps of children running through the garden. I catch a glimpse of my grandfather diligently scooping mud from the dry pond to fertilize the banana trees. His image seems still here, even though he passed away 24 years ago...

In autumn, leaves fall silently and the sky is breathtakingly blue. Autumn brings with it nostalgia, autumn evokes innocence, and autumn also inspires hope, so that new shoots will sprout again after another season of falling leaves...

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/van-hoc-nghe-thuat/mua-la-chao-nghieng-890548