all is now auburn colored
from the flush leaves on the trees
to those that keep the ground covered
and those flying on autumn’s breeze
O fall! paint us rugged oaks
or the softest red maples
O autumn! use brilliant strokes
for every hue you are able
lay waste to the summer heat
and hold off the winter frost
a buffer built by those winds fleet
gentleness of this form is lost
O but Autumn comes with grace!
never a hint of cruelty
even less than a lovely face
alas you will fade brutally!
O how we’ll mourn when you’re gone!
and drink to empty our cups!
the tavern ablaze until dawn!
honoring yours’ and winter’s crux
glasses in the air we cheer
revering bountiful gifts
full plates and full glasses of beer
the cornucopia we lift
owes nothing to your cold death
but instead to supple life
that gave to the land its last breath
until we had a harvest rife