By Alexander Deveney
The Autumn’s sepia tones return
When scarlet leaves detach and fall
They answer Nature’s yearly call
To die in flames and golden burn
And coat the streets in fiery hues
A carpet made of ochre weave
Will lie until the Winter’s eve
The sky displays a copper bruise
And russet trees now seem to say
The lush, warm days are soon to cool
And put to rest the Summer’s rule
Of balmy night and hazy day
Then Winter comes like a pale ghost
Autumnal gold fades out to white
Daybreak itself is black as night
The sun becomes an absent host
Now cotton snow falls through the night
To settle gently on the ground
The town is buried without sound
And glistens in the ivory light
The snow will thaw to fall as rain
And frost succumbs to morning dew
When Spring arrives, to start anew
And softly birth the World again.