Startling colors for winterYour leaves brighten days and lift spiritsYour curls and swirls amuse me.Croton, your name doesn't fit you;It isn't playful enough.

Ginkgo leaves, like tiny fansIn the hands of proper southern belles, Wave and flutter in the trees. Soon they will lose their grip, thenWith no more sound than a whisper,Drop into the golden circle On the grass belowTo become a part of the past.

The pieces of our lives Arranged in rows and linesBy months and years.In groupingsThe light and the dark,The bright, the colors,The textures ofHappy and sad,Of lonely times,Of family times,The touchings of friendshipsGlued to each other with love's mortar.Each piece large or small Fits together, like a patchwork quilt;Makes our unique pictureOur humanityOur stories God's design for our days.