Poem of the week: Leaves by Frederic Manning

‘Little gilt leaves are still’ … Autumn Sun by Egon Schiele, depicting the artist’s mood on the eve of the first world war. Photograph: PA

Leaves

A frail and tenuous mist lingers on baffled and intricate branches;
Little gilt leaves are still, for quietness holds every bough;
Pools in the muddy road slumber, reflecting indifferent stars;
Steeped in the loveliness of moonlight is earth, and the valleys,
Brimmed up with quiet shadow, with a mist of sleep.