by Belegon
when nothing else is as important...I know the feeling and you captured it perfectly :)
...though I didn't need "the blue of lake". It made me begin to suspect the color references, which momentarily obscured the poem for me. Why not just limit the color to the opening and closing "red"?
Very good. I agree with george. I think it'll have more impact if you stick with "Through red leaves" and "Of red branches" and drop the blue.
*I don't use the thermometer