EPIGRAPH 4 Summer begs autumn to brag of its abundance Oh autumn tries It fills the land with sun-drenched colors But patient winter insists on white all white so spring can ask its same green question What next old world 5
4 Even as autumn’s days shortened and chilled and even as frosted trees shrugged off their colors a rose-cheeked grouse clung to summer Her favorite Forever Flowers the first to appear the last to disappear barely poked above the sudden snowfall 6
