Oh, Autumn, Must You Leave?

I watch as she rakes up the red-golden leaves
Creating small heaps of sunset from the fallen debris
All the colors blur together, they leak and they bleed
I don’t know why, but the sight makes me weep
There’s something so sad about these skeletal trees
Losing their clothing before winter’s first freeze
Bare naked and shaking in the slightest breeze
They shiver and watch thermometers shrink by degrees
Winter is coming closer with inexorable steps
To stir dead brown leaves with his icy white breath
Beside me bark creaking makes a sound so forlorn
As winter’s chill kisses elicit frost robes by morn’

Inspired by the Meme Express (bare, bark, beside) and Simply Snickers (shake, step, stir) and the weather we’ve been having in the North.