The Fall of the Leaf
(from The Poetical Works of Mrs. Leprohon: 1881)Earnest and sad the solemn tale
That the sighing winds give back,
Scatt'ring the leaves with mournful wail
O'er the forest's faded track;
Gay summer birds have left us now
For a warmer, brighter clime,
Where no leaden sky or leafless bough
Tell of change and winter-time.
Reapers have gathered golden store
Of maize and ripened grain,
And they'll seek the lonely fields no more
Till the springtide comes again.
But around the homestead's blazing hearth
Will they find sweet rest from toil,
And many an hour of harmless mirth
While the snow-storm piles the soil.
Then, why should we grieve for summer skies–
For its shady trees - its flowers,
Or the thousand light and pleasant ties
That endeared the sunny hours?
A few short months of snow and storm,
Of winter's chilling reign,
And summer, with smiles and glances warm,
Will gladden our earth again.
Rosanna Eleanor Leprohon (1832-1879)
English-Canadian writer and poet
Now that I live in southern California, I don't have to worry about winter. I understand the sentiment in this lovely poem but I do not share it. When it finally cools down here and the sun sets earlier, I feel a peaceful relief.
ReplyDeleteIf I lived in more southern latitudes, I'd probably feel relief about cooler weather, too. But as it is, I'm stuck in the Alpes where we're having days reminding of November rather than golden October. We're lucky that it doesn't snow yet! The poem is exactly how I feel about this season!
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