Autumn

When depths of green give way to fire
Which blazes all around,
The first exquisite breath of frost
Bedecks the fiery ground.

When hours of sun begin to shrink
And are in heat less bold,
The cooling hours of moonlight grow
Each than the last more cold.

When icy tendrils stroke the earth,
Then every living thing
Lies 'neath the gray of winter skies
And gentle cool of spring.

When those who wilt in summer's heat
Are granted sweet relief,
Then those who shrink from winter's cold
Know their respite is brief.

When Nature's frailer minions die,
Cut down by bitter winds,
The rest of Nature starts to live;
Thus, life begins and ends.