I danced in the delicate Springtime,
Wheeled as an untrammelled kite,
I sported in wanton Summer
In strident, mid-day light.
Overbright summer betrayed me,
Shamelessly lingering on.
Clamouring colour unmade me,
Clinging to youth that had gone.
I skipped through the fresh-felt morning,
And bloomed in the afternoon
Give me now an evening,
One gliding, tiding moon.
The night must not come quickly,
Swept unawares, away,
Then I will yield, 'Come night...
I have lived the lovely day'.
I need the soft touches of Autumn,
A chance to become serene,
Out of the glare of the white light
Into the cool of the green.
When limbs that are wearied by frenzy,
Can rest before they are stilled
And cheeks that are hot from the riot
Can cool before they are chilled.
When sweet melancholy enfolds me
And there is woodsmoke tang on the air,
The russety smell of the leaf-drop
Can soothe away despair.
When misty mornings muffle
A dim and muted sun
Which lights upon nothing vibrant,
But harmony, brown and dun.
The long night of Winter is coming
And I will not try to evade
But I ask for one lingering moment
In the calm of the Autumn shade.
