"September"

East and west the color sweeps,
   Gold in air and everywhere;
Mists that veil the o'erarching deeps
   To the heavens their gold declare:
Starry blossoms, color-brimmed,
   Drink the wine of days divine,
And the sunflowers, gorgeous-rimmed,
   Sentinels—as Autumn's sign—
               Nod and shine.

Climbing o'er the sunlit bowers,
   Birds surprise the butterflies
Sleeping in the trumpet-flowers
   Hushed by south winds' lullabies;
Purple-proud, the asters show
   Hearts o'errun with rays of sun,
And the meadow lilies blow,
   "Fairer 'rayed than Solomon,"
               One by one.

East and west the color sweeps,
   Color here and color there:
Sapphire in the o'erarching deeps,
   Gold in mists and gold in air;
And when moons set crescent-sail
   O'er heaven's breast in color quest
And its uttermost glories scale
   All the world stands gold-confessed,
               East and west.

C.E.Whiton-Stone