Autumn
By Mary T. Hoffman

Autumn
By Mary T. Hoffman

The morning sun burns through
a purplish haze
To bare the valley's patchwork
red and gold.
A deep contentment lingers o'er
these days
Of mellowness forestalling
winter's cold.

The future jack-o'-lanterns,
orange and round,
Contrast with cornstalks standing
brown and spare.
Bright-colored leaves fall gently
to the ground
And join the rustling crowd
already there.

Published 27 August 1977 in The Daily Mail (Catskill, NY)