Floating Leaf

The willow leaf is like a yellow boat Floating upon the loch's impassive face And one by one to earth bright tumblers race Where solitary squirrel hides a cone And insects nibble leaves like Flemish lace The frosty moon is a white marble stone The dying flights of small blue butterflies Founder in woodland in some gloomy zone A fox peers round with burning ember eyes A badger bares his teeth at skittish dog This is the witching season of strange skies Now streams run cold enough to freeze the dead And sunset stains each evening cloud blood red