Does Youth Fade When the Sun Goes Down?

Halloween’s coming up! 

     My younger self is shrieking at the prospect of trick or treating,

Now it’s just “dance! dance! dance!” repeating and I’m conceding,

                                                                                            Despite my better judgement.

And now I’m misleading random people I never thought I’d be meeting,

                     “Yes I’m on the football team” (words I should never be speaking),

And 

      their 

                How many have I had?

             smiling 

                        and- 

                                  I’ve forgotten.

The leaves have a tan now,

                           My foggy brain is an introspective one,

My head is rocking, 

                        Where did the sun go? 

I’ve forgotten my keys,

                        There are bunnies in the yard,

I have to run to Lamon- where did the sun go?

You don’t notice when the sun sets when you’re always busy,

                                    Or perhaps that’s just me,

The seasons have changed and I haven’t,

                                                                                  Noticed (nor has it crossed my mind)

There are pumpkins in the Square,

                                    Matter of fact there are pumpkins everywhere,

And I hadn’t noticed.

Will my childlike wonder die on the steps of Widener,

Or will it be Cabot that’ll do the trick?

The answer I do not know but as the first

                                                                  drops

                                                          of fall 

                                                     fall 

                             Upon my brow,

I stop. And look around,

The leaves really have a tan now.

The yard is a collage of colours,

At every step there are hints of ruby red and chestnut brown,

Only this weather can evaporate my permanent post p-set frown,

And it’s beautiful.

So look around,

And you might just see the sun before it goes down. Noah Basden ’29 (nhbasden@college.harvard.edu) is comping the Harvard Independent.