The brightest leaves don’t bloom in spring, When life is fresh and new. They wait until the autumn winds To show their richest hue. They dance beneath October’s sun In crimson, bronze, and flame Displaying all their splendor Until winter calls their name. And isn’t love so often shown In just that tender way? We hold the simple things most dear As seasons slip away. It isn't one heartbreaking day The weary spirit grieves; But names forgotten, footsteps slowed, Like fading autumn leaves. A wrinkled hand, a gentle smile, A story softly told— The simple things we barely saw Now shine like autumn gold. Yet every laugh, each quiet talk, Can never satisfy. Love teaches us too late, it seems, How precious time slips by. We cannot stop the falling leaves Or hold the seasons still, But we can choose to linger close As we await His will. For autumn whispers through the trees What hearts are slow to see: The deepest beauty often shines Before eternity. So while the colors softly glow Against the bluest sky, I’ll cherish every precious day Before we say goodbye. For just like leaves in autumn’s light, So radiant, yet brief, A loved one’s final season blooms With beauty wrapped in grief.
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