"Autumn" by Christine Paget

Autumn shows its face along the barren path
Yellow and red shapes nest along the corners
Each leaf floats along to the gentle wind's laugh
Purple and orange scatter all the mourners

Naked twigs and branches delicately sway
Clinging leaves are amputated one by one
That which is the breath of life scatters light rays
The daytime star won't fall away undone

Young children run among the tall, painted grass
Beams of ardor, joy and love flow from each child
Rolling, laughing, smiling, playing, in the mass
In glowing faces, shining eyes wander beguiled

Autumn falls with bold color on the earth
Hope is planted and each life is given worth

Christine Paget is a senior at PALCS. You may have heard of her in the past, as she's been very involved in school activities, like helping establish the prom or create the school yearbooks.

Paget loves writing poetry, short stories, articles, and any other kind of literary work. She writes for the Talon, and has taken many creative writing and literature courses. She also is involved with the after school book club in Pittsburgh.

She currently attends class concurrently at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, where she hopes to major in English and Political Science, and minor in Creative Writing and Museum Studies.

Paget cites some of her favorite works as "Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carol and "Watership Down" by Richard Adams, and says her favorite author is Ray Bradbury.

She says that she is only an amateur writer, but is inspired by other amateur writers as well: "I am an amateur writer, but I learn and am inspired and challenged by various myspace poets that no one knows about yet."

In the future, Paget hopes to become a teacher, and says "Someday I hope to become a teacher and to write on the side, though that will probably change at some point. All I want is to help people and to love everyone. I hope that wherever my life takes me that is what I will accomplish."