Mused - the BellaOnline Literary Review - Autumn Equinox 2012

The Autumn Equinox is the fulfilment of our dreams and the fruits of our labors. Farmer's markets are overflowing with succulent vegetables. Tangerine butterflies and golden leaves soothe our soul. Poetry celebrates this arrival of delight. We savor the beauty of painted skin, peer through the subtle wrapping of fog, and watch the shadows of ourselves walk before us. Non-fiction soaks us into the world of a teenage girl's crush on her teacher. We hear about a joyful new addition to a family. Fiction draws us along on twists and turns. A couple loses themselves in projects when life becomes too painful. A widow takes a fresh look at the world. Bethany Hamilton is a beacon of bright, unadulterated joy for living. After a shark attack left her without her left arm, she could have retreated from the world. Instead she leapt back on her surfboard, took on every new challenge, and became an inspiration to us all. Her message to us - "I would encourage you to just LOVE LIFE!"