Seasons - And All the World

When winter comes, with snow and icy rain,
The Earth is blanketed in drifts of pain,
And all the world seems cold and dead and still,
As if the very life has left downhill.
The trees stand bare, their branches stark and white,
As if they, too, have given up the fight.

But spring is on the way, with its soft breeze
And gentle showers that bring new life to trees.
The flowers peek their heads up through the ground,
And all around, the world is turning sound.
The birds return, and sing their joyous song,
And all the world is right, and glad, and strong.

And then the summer comes, with its hot sun,
And ev'rywhere is bathed in golden fun.
The fields are green, the flowers in full bloom,
And all the world is filled with sweet perfume.
The days are long, and people laugh and play,
As if they cannot get enough of day.

But autumn comes, and brings with it the chill,
And all the world is wrapped in leaves of gold.
The trees stand tall, their branches red and brown,
And all around, the air is crisp and sound.
The days grow shorter, and the nights grow long,
As if the world is waiting for something.

And then the winter comes again, with its cold breath,
And ev'rywhere is covered in a frosty wreath.
The cycle starts anew, and all the world
Is plunged into the darkness, like a pearl
Drawn from the depths and left to shine alone.
And so it goes, the cycle of the four seasons, known.

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The most commonly used calendar in this world, the New Gardemoor Calendar, starts its year when winter begins. So too does this poem start with the beginning of the year!