The sunlight’s slant has grown more acute, its dazzling mid-summer radiance muted. The late-afternoon breeze freshens, crisper now, swirling leaves grown sere, stirring the long garden chimes to a deep, dolorous melody. Unlike Nature, I resist this passage for I know without illusion what lies at the end of seasons.

Nick Young is a retired award-winning CBS News Correspondent. In addition to 50-Word Stories, his writing has appeared in dozens of reviews, journals and anthologies. His first novel, “Deadline,” was published in the Fall of 2023. He lives outside Chicago.