Dead Leaves



When these dead leaves were green, love,
   November's skies were blue,
And summer came with lips aflame,
   The gentle spring to woo;
And to us, wandering hand in hand,
   Life was a fairy scene,
That golden morning in the woods
   When these dead leaves were green!

How dream-like now that dewy morn,
   Sweet with the wattle's flowers,
When love, love, love was all our theme,
   And youth and hope were ours!
Two happier hearts in all the land
   There were not then, I ween,
Than those young lovers' -- yours and mine --
   When these dead leaves were green.

How gaily did you pluck these leaves
   From the acacia's bough,
To mark the lyric we had read --
   I can repeat it now!
While came the words, like music sweet,
   Your smiling lips between --
"So fold my love within your heart,"
   When these dead leaves were green!

How many springs have passed since then?
   Ah, wherefore should we count,
The years that sped, like waters fled
   From Time's unstaying fount?
We've had our share of happiness,
   Our share of care have seen;
But love alone has never flown
   Since these dead leaves were green.

Your heart is kind and loving still,
   Your face to me as fair,
As when, that morn, the sunshine played
   Amid your golden hair.
So, dearest, sweethearts still we'll be,
   As we have ever been,
And keep our love as fresh and true
   As when these leaves were green.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:15 min read
126

Quick analysis:

Scheme xaxabcxC xdxdbcxC xefexcxC xxfbxcxc xgxgxxac
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,390
Words 247
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8, 8

Edward Booth Loughran

Edward Booth Loughran was born in Glasgow Scotland on the 13th December, 1850, of Irish parents. He received his primary educated in Northern Ireland. arriving in Australia during January, 1866. He taught as a Public school teacher in Queensland for several years prior to his journalistic career, and was employed on `Rockhampton Bulletin', `Brisbane Courier', and `Melbourne Argus'. Edward joined the Victorian Government `Hansard' in 1879, and in 1893 was appointed Chief of Staff. more…

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