 | Birds, Bees and Blossoms |  |
43
THE PEACOCK.
Saw ye ever in a large crowdAny one that looked half so proud?
He walks by measure, he strides by jerks,
This way and that his head he perks;
And then, O dear, those dreadful screams!
But may be he's not so proud as he seems.
I'd be a lark and soar on high,
Soar and sing in the clear blue sky,
Sooner than sit on a pillar all day,
By some ancient hall that through age is gray,
Uttering that most horrible cry:
And yet—and yet—I know not why.
After all he has some cause to be vain;
Look when he spreads his gaudy train!
44
All dappled round with richest dyes;
There is not a lady in the land
Attired so rich, nor jewelled so grand.
Never did queen such colours unfold,
Such sun-dyed purple, green, and gold.
Oh, yes, he has some cause to be vain—
So would you, Miss, with such a train.
Look how richly the colours run in—
You can't tell where they end or begin;
So close they all together blend,
As if they'd neither beginning nor end.
If he were a lark, oh, my eye!
What a dash he would make in the sky!
When all his colours he did reveal,
He would go up like a Catherine wheel,
Like rainbows flying, bars of gold,
Purple and silver, and green unrolled;
And all the rich colours together run,
You wouldn't be able to see in the sun,
Unless you'd an Ugly over your eyes,
He would dazzle you so with his gaudy dyes.
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