 | [Poems by Piatt in] The Children Out-of-doors |  |
37
THE OUTSIDE OF THE WINDOW.
They stand at the window, peering,
And pressing against the pane
Their beautiful childish faces:
Without are the night and rain.
And pressing against the pane
Their beautiful childish faces:
Without are the night and rain.
They stand at the window, peering:
What see they, the children, there?
A room full of happy faces,
A room full of shining air!
What see they, the children, there?
A room full of happy faces,
A room full of shining air!
A room full of warmth and brightness,
A room full of pleasant sights,—
Of pictures and statues and vases,
And shadows at play with the lights.
A room full of pleasant sights,—
Of pictures and statues and vases,
And shadows at play with the lights.
But sweetest of all, to their gazing,
(So near, they seem part of them there!)
Is the room full of happy faces
In the room full of shining air.
(So near, they seem part of them there!)
Is the room full of happy faces
In the room full of shining air.
38
Ah me! my precious observers,
Another sight I shall find—
“What is it?” I dread to tell you,
And, oh! it were sweet to be blind!
Another sight I shall find—
“What is it?” I dread to tell you,
And, oh! it were sweet to be blind!
From the lighted room, through the window,
I see, and have seen them of old,
A world full of wretched faces,
A world full of darkness and cold:
I see, and have seen them of old,
A world full of wretched faces,
A world full of darkness and cold:
A world full of cold and darkness,
A world full of dreary sights,—
No pictures, nor statues, nor vases,
But shadows that put out the lights.
A world full of dreary sights,—
No pictures, nor statues, nor vases,
But shadows that put out the lights.
Ah, saddest of all, through the window
(They seem with us, so near!) I behold
A world full of wretched faces
In a world full of darkness and cold!
(They seem with us, so near!) I behold
A world full of wretched faces
In a world full of darkness and cold!
| [Poems by Piatt in] The Children Out-of-doors | |