Winter Garden

In myDecember garden Sunsetbriefly blossoms Theblood-red rose remains alone to dominate The largely comatose, except inone far corner Beyond my present view where violas still Are sneakily at play Like children who pretend A casual deafness When the bell to lessons sounds. More numerous now Than in September sunlight Their purple-yellow haze surrounds The Snapdragon and the Dahlias Which lorded over them With more spectacular colours Throughout the Summer, But blackened now By Autumn's dank infusions.