The first notes sound
and the curtain lifts to reveal
a palette of gold and green.
Dusty rose Joe Pye weed
and waves of goldenrod
rise against the backdrop
of late summer’s multi-hued trees,
all of them waltzing in the warm, light breeze.
Now a crimson vine rises, trumpeting
September’s red theme in notes that will sound
in countless variations as the days unfold,
each of them flaming with poignant drama
as the year burns toward its close.