“‘The rains of autumn dim September’s gold,
Turning its leafy glory into mold:
The dull, cold months of winter following
Give little hope or promise of a spring’.
Thus Vercingetorix, held prisoner
For six long years to follow Caesar’s car
In his great triumph and be put to death,
Might well have spoken with his latest breath.
Yet, as the fallen leaves in winter fade
They form leaf mold from which new growth is made,
And every summer, springing from that mold,
Fresh, living green replaces dying gold.”
–Philip H. Pope, Vercingetorix, the Young Leader who United the Gauls against Caesar: A Historical Epic (Epilogue)