Death's Beauty

A fragile beauty in death can be found

In the water, earth and sky:

Creation singing "I'm homeward bound!"

As it shrivels and withers and dies.

The leaves on the trees all burn and bleed,

In yellow, orange and red.

The trees all aflame as they go to seed,

The branches will all soon be dead.

The sun bathes the sky as it goes to rest,

In gold and violet and pink.

To its Creator’s wonder it does attest--

Then to death and night it sinks.

May I burn with color as I bleed and die,

As I finish my earthly quest.

Let my soul with beauty paint the sky,

And my final hours be my best.