Autumn Leaves

How far away the warm sun seems
How distant now the dappled leafy shade,
The breezes rippling Summer hay
And sighing through the drowsy woodland glade.

Now winds are cold and full of rain
The lazy sun climbs slowly from his bed
And trees are stripped of Summer’s crown
Which flutters down to carpet earth instead.

The Summer’s glorious greenery
All lies in russet tatters on the ground
The bleak black branches scrape the sky
And wait for Winter’s cold and dreary round.

The smoke from bonfires struggles up
As fires barely manage to consume
The sodden offerings from lawns
Now scoured clear of leaves by rake and broom

The luscious green of Summer’s gone,
The red and gold and brown of Autumn too,
The black and white of Wintertime
Has still to come before the year is through.

But Winter cannot last for long
The days will soon be lengthening and then
The bright green buds on Winter boughs
Will signal Spring - and leafy trees again!