The lake a tabletop of glass
The sky a brilliant blue
The newborn sun a blinding blast
Showcasing every hue

Maples leaning out from shore
Admire their colored coats
Swallows dip and dive and soar
As fog lifts from the boats

Each shifting scene begins to die
The moment it is born
Grab your paper, pen and try
Save each before its gone

But have you saved a butterfly
Pinned to paper with a thorn?

Find yourself a friendly fire
Let this poem burn
If its beauty you aspire
To the lake return