Summer’s End

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

The summer ends, and in the lengthening days
The weary sun with waning glory strays,
And leaves his throne, once warm with joyous light,
To cold and cheerless reign of sullen night.

The crickets chant their melancholy song,
The restless birds in scattered southward throng;
The trees, stripped bare of all their leafy pride,
Stand desolate, and naked, side by side.

The flowers droop, and shiver in the blast,
And die, for all their blooming beauty past;
And nature, in her mourning garb arrayed,
Bemoans the summer’s flight, so soon decayed.

^^^

About the poet: Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906) was one of the first influential African American poets in American literature, celebrated for his mastery of both dialect and standard English verse. His work often reflects themes of nature, struggle, and resilience, leaving a lasting mark on American poetry.

Photo: Michela82/Pixabay