There you are, celebrating fall by standing in front of your dog, mellifluously intoning:

"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness / Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun!"

Yes, ol' Keats hit a home run with his "To Autumn," but perhaps your time with verse might be better spent this October by racing Sunday to Bank Square Books for an "Afternoon of Poetry and a New Beginnings Book Fair."

The celebration is sponsored by Bank Square and the Poets' Choice publishing house and will feature readings by Gray Jacobik, Richard Harteis, Johnes Ruta and Ravi Shankar. Also appearing — and a word to the wise — you do not want to miss Margaret Gibson read from "Broken Cup" and Rennie McQuilkin read from his just-out "Going On."

Works by all these writers will be available for sale — and, yes, free refreshments will help nurture your tummy as well as your mind and soul.

An Afternoon of Poetry, 1 p.m. Sunday, Bank Square Books; 53 West Main St., Mystic; free; (860) 536-3795.