Who stole away those golden leaves which recently had fallen from the trees
Decorating those tired and resting fields
Those golden shredded years came back to me with tears
As the Autumn harvest spread its leaves over my fading years.
That panorama of golden verdure illuminating the land with artistic splendour
Invaded the youthful memory of better days
But time had spread its wings over life’s most important things
Leaving Divine approval mirrored in different ways
What nature secretly holds is released by growing old and grey will indicate the age.
But the spell of golden flame is the sign of a greater claim to the mysteries of The Kingdom since foretold
As Autumn has matured so the rest of us are assured that Nature so related to the Creator’s hand
That one day the reign of God we will all go along bringing mature and golden foliage to the loving fields of God.
Columban Fr. Maurice Foley is retired in Ireland.
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.