Fair-Hued Leaves The fair-hued leaves of autumn fall and crush Upon the browning grass of summer past As atmosphere proclaims its silent hush And forest-dwellers wait a winter's fast. The worldly norms of beauty pale and fade Upon the face of man in aging state As countenance begins to retrograde And mind creates a wondrance of Death's weight. We ponder Nature's cease of beauty best Which she herself provided in the spring. Her gentle call is mild, yet manifest. All life must follow Nature's beckoning. But Death prepares the way for springtime blessed In which new life the spirit is refreshed.