As the temperature plummets
The last autumn leaves 
Seem to scream
In silent splendor
From trees ringed
By beds
Of deceptively tender pansies
And weather-hardy mums,
And at the corner
Children wait anxiously
For the school bus,
Their noses pink and runny
From the cold.
The year is aging rapidly,
The days growing ever shorter
As the sun rises lower
And lower
Above the horizon.
Soon,
Halloween will be heralding
The holiday season,
Snow will cover
The leaf-strewn ground,
And ghosts and goblins
Now prowling the streets
Will be replaced
By carolers, and shoppers
Battling for the latest toys
And gadgets.
It is the time
For heavy socks
And reading before 
A crackling fire,
For chili con carne
And hot rum toddies.
It is the time
For couples,
For families,
For everyone
Who believes.