MOTHER'S AUTUMN ROMANCE

“I thought I’d never love again,” she whispered soft and low.
The light that flickered from the lamp cast out a golden glow.
They both had passed their prime of life, and lonely were their days
But as they sat together, she returned his loving gaze.

The leaves had turned to red and gold, the night was crisp and clear;
The frost was on the pumpkins which it did that time of year.
The apples stored in boxes had a fragrance all their own;
The pies were on the counter, made from apples she had grown.

They talked about their younger days, of memories long ago
When heading to the schoolhouse, they walked knee-deep in the snow.
But one day when he moved away, she felt her life was o’er
She knew that things would never be as they had been before.

But now he had returned and, kneeling, pledged his love anew.
They faced the autumn of their years and knew what they must do.
As in the old “September Song,” though days were fading fast,
They’d never be apart again; they’d found romance at last.

Mariane Holbrook