October
Poem
October
is the treasurer of the year,
And all
the months pay bounty to her store;
The fields
and orchards still their tribute bear,
And fill
her brimming coffers more and more.
But she, with
youthful lavishness,
Spends all
her wealth in gaudy dress,
And decks
herself in garments bold
Of scarlet,
purple, red, and gold.
She heedeth
not how swift the hours fly,
But smiles
and sings her happy life along;
She only sees above a shining sky;
She only hears the breezes’ voice in song.
Her garments
trail the woodlands through,
And gather
pearls of early dew
That sparkle,
till the roguish Sun
Creeps up and seals them every one.
But what
cares she that jewels should be lost,
When all
of Nature’s bounteous wealth is hers?
Though princely
fortunes may have been their cost,
Not one
regret her calm demeanour stirs.
Whole-hearted,
happy, careless, free,
She lives
her life out joyously,
Nor cares
when Frost stalks o’er her way
And turns
her auburn locks to gray.
Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)
Paul Laurence Dunbar was a prolific American writer and poet. He wrote in standard English, though during his lifetime his most popular work was that written in African-American English.
He died at
the age of thirty-three, having contracted tuberculosis in 1900.
Thank you for sharing this poem Jabblog. An original way of personifying autumn. Tuberculosis took a lot of the best - including three of the Bronte sisters. What might Emily have produced if she had doubled the span of her short life?
ReplyDeleteWe always suppose that there would have been more and, possibly, better. The alternative view is that the bright gold of youth would have tarnished with age. It's fortunate that we can never know.
DeleteI enjoy poetry and this poem about the autumn is lovely.
ReplyDeleteIt captures the month perfectly.
DeleteHere in Australia October is the heating up month. Lovely poem.
ReplyDeleteYou have all the joys of fresh beginnings as our year slows down.
DeleteI've read many of Dunbar's poems but I was unfamiliar with this one. It's lovely.
ReplyDeleteI thought so, too.
DeleteThank you for the poem - a reminder to enjoy October too as winter will all to soon creep up on all of us. I don't often read poetry but enjoyed that poem.
ReplyDeleteOctober is a lovely month - a look back to summer and a nod to winter.
DeleteI am not usually a poetry person but I enjoyed that one.
ReplyDeleteAs Tigger's Mum said, winter ... as well as age as suggested in the poem .. is certainly creeping up on most of us.
It's creeping too jolly fast for me!
DeleteThank you for sharing, it's a beautiful poem.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it.
DeleteI think the poet has got October spot on. It's sad that so many talented people have died so young.
ReplyDeleteTuberculosis blighted so many young lives.
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ReplyDeleteThe last two lines are a superb conclusion to such a good poem.
ReplyDelete