Rita Odey

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Dear Fall, 

On a normal day, I’d be the happiest person to see you. Who wouldn’t?

You come with royal splendour; It’s in the way the leaves know to fall at your feet as you strip the trees of their green glory. It’s in the way you make things mellow; our moods, outfits and drinks are inspired by your arrival. But Fall, this year would you please pause? Give us a little more time with the sun’s warmth?

You see, things haven’t been easy. Spring had just announced its arrival when COVID happened. While cherry blossoms called, we were inside, huddled in fright. Day after day, consoling one another over Skype. The thief of all things right lurked and our safety was in our loneliness. 

Summer came at the peak of the pandemic. Sunny days, at first with no-one brave enough to venture outside under its rays. But we found a way. Gloves. Masks. Washing hands at every tap. We managed. Gone were the usual sounds of the season, replaced by the 7pm clanging of pots and pans. 

How this concerns you, you ask? Dear Fall, I’m asking you to please be late. It’s been a summer like no other and we haven’t fully enjoyed the warm, long days. Will you hold off another week or two and let the greenery remain?

An unusual request, I admit, but it’s better than seeing gloomy faces, with no interest in rolling in the heap of leaves you create. 

So, Fall, what do you say? Will you delay and please come late?

Your friend, 

Rita

My name is Rita Odey and I’m in the master’s program in Communication at SFU. I’m obsessed with the fall season. However, in the light of all that has happened this year, and the unusual amount of time I’ve spent indoors, I realized that I did not have the chance to fully enjoy the seasons we had during the pandemic. I did not even see a single cherry blossom. I knew that fall was approaching swiftly and wished I could halt it. I decided to write a letter to my favorite season to please take its time and give us a few more days with the sun. This work is one of the many fiction pieces I write to inanimate objects. I explore topics like seasons, body weight and memories in my writings. I compare it to abstract visual art. This work speaks to the way my mind works and shows my thought process and how I relate to the lifelessness around me. I wrote the letter and took the picture myself.