Poems (Argent)/Falling Leaves
FALLING LEAVES.
"We all do fade as a leaf."
IN the quiet dreamy woodlands where the shadows love to creep,
And the rivulet's low murmur sighs like to a soul in sleep
Comes a message somewhat gloomy, yet withal in tender wise,
From the mansions of the old year from the lattice of the skies.
And the rivulet's low murmur sighs like to a soul in sleep
Comes a message somewhat gloomy, yet withal in tender wise,
From the mansions of the old year from the lattice of the skies.
And the leaves are softly falling, falling softly one by one,
Flaming like bright crimson trophies color'd by th' impassioned sun;
Gorgeous hues all richly woven in a royal carpet sweet
Spread for beauty and for pasture for the fairies' spirit feet!
Flaming like bright crimson trophies color'd by th' impassioned sun;
Gorgeous hues all richly woven in a royal carpet sweet
Spread for beauty and for pasture for the fairies' spirit feet!
But the prophet he sings truly when he says like to a leaf,
We do fade beneath the burden of each transient human grief,
In life's springtime all is gladness, as the leaf upon the tree,
We do dance through childhood gaily with a gesture merrily.
We do fade beneath the burden of each transient human grief,
In life's springtime all is gladness, as the leaf upon the tree,
We do dance through childhood gaily with a gesture merrily.
Then the summer's fair meridian of a mellow teeming age
Crowns with sunny fruit and blossom Nature's golden heritage,
O the glorious summer beauties, decking earth with radiant flowers,
O the grand majestic beauties hidden in this world of ours.
Crowns with sunny fruit and blossom Nature's golden heritage,
O the glorious summer beauties, decking earth with radiant flowers,
O the grand majestic beauties hidden in this world of ours.
But the autumn with its rain-clouds and its thunder tones of wrath,
Blowing from the chilly mountains and the ice fields of the north,
Comes apace and takes precedence of the summer that is flown,
Smites the leaves with fiery fingers with a fury all its own.
Blowing from the chilly mountains and the ice fields of the north,
Comes apace and takes precedence of the summer that is flown,
Smites the leaves with fiery fingers with a fury all its own.
O the surge and moan of winter rushing down the grassy lanes,
O the sorrows of the heavens in the storm-clouds and the rams,
Ere the winter comes with snow wreaths, and with diamond crowns that fling
Glistening frost drops o'er the window, jewels from the great Ice King!
O the sorrows of the heavens in the storm-clouds and the rams,
Ere the winter comes with snow wreaths, and with diamond crowns that fling
Glistening frost drops o'er the window, jewels from the great Ice King!
Fading, falling in the autumn are the leaves so rosy red,
Brown and golden, each a symbol of a life forever fled.
Radiantly they waved in springtime with a soft and balmy breath,
Through all seasons fair to look on, beautiful in life and death!
Brown and golden, each a symbol of a life forever fled.
Radiantly they waved in springtime with a soft and balmy breath,
Through all seasons fair to look on, beautiful in life and death!
So may we like autumn leaflets shed a pure and holy light,
Round humanity's wide pathway brighter for the shades of night;
Beauteous in our life's young morning, in its noon and evening brief,
Sanctified by joy and sorrow,—though we fade as doth a leaf!
Round humanity's wide pathway brighter for the shades of night;
Beauteous in our life's young morning, in its noon and evening brief,
Sanctified by joy and sorrow,—though we fade as doth a leaf!