Bad Poetry: Adjectives for Autumn

This one should have gone live on Friday, and didn't, because I was distracted by fair weather and new e-books.

For narrative writing, we're often advised to cut out adjectives and use livelier verbs. For poetry, this week's Poets & Storytellers United prompt was an invitation to use all those adjectives...I remember that in many languages an adjective is just another form of a verb. This poem, however, uses a bare minimum of verbs.

We've just had record high temperatures in what some call "Indian summer," some "St Martin's little summer." Very little is known about this St Martin. Some doubt whether he really existed. He was a favorite saint in old England, though, because he was associated with those last warm sunny days of autumn. His name was adopted by other saints (who definitely did exist) and by several distinguished men who weren't even Catholic. I like "little summer" as a name for this weather pattern. The weather is far too pleasant, when it comes, to be wasted on quibbling about the meaning of the word "saint" and the most correct attitude to take toward the legend of St Martin.

1. Green and Yellow

Cooler, yes, but not much. Thinner sun 

beams slant true west, earlier each afternoon.

Relief. Could be more. Summer's job is done,

Surely? Mozzies whne; same old tune.

Walnut and poplar leaves turn yellow.

Weather's still summer, only more mellow.

2. Red

Red maple. Purple dogwood. Red, pink, white

Flybush. Pink lady's thumb. White oaks brown

But coppery. Scarlet oaks red. Black oaks bright

Orange-red. Frosty nights; daytime highs down.

Afternoon sun, west-south-west. Persimmons blue

Undertone through the orange; white oaks, too.

3. Orange

Most trees bare now. First freezing night leaves frost

In thin southwestern sun all afternoon.

Beech leaves, orange and stubborn, never lost

Till spring. Orange haze on yellow hunter's moon.

All oak leaves shade through orange to brown

Before, or after, they come down.

 

4. Drab

Warm again. Not for long. Bare, dormant trees.

Twigs down along with leaves, all fading fast.

Nuts ripe, in last thaw after the first freeze.

All's waiting for the year's next freezing blast.

Alles ist hin. All gone. Leaves to be found,

Except some oaks and beeches, on the ground.