 | Children (1887) |  |
25
CHILDREN.
“Heaven lies about us in our infancy.”
Drawn shyly to each other soon
The children's willing hands embrace,
And eager-eyed they meet the new
Strong morning face to face.
The children's willing hands embrace,
And eager-eyed they meet the new
Strong morning face to face.
Shouting abroad they seek the day,
And bound or whirl for very bliss;
Then sidewise brush the glittering grass
To feel how wet it is:
And bound or whirl for very bliss;
Then sidewise brush the glittering grass
To feel how wet it is:
Where, sliding from its home, the snail's
Thin horns prick vaguely while it crawls,
That touched by timid finger shrink
Back in their castle walls.
Thin horns prick vaguely while it crawls,
That touched by timid finger shrink
Back in their castle walls.
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Gay in the sunshine everywhere
Scattered blossomy butterflies
Brighten the fields: hands spread, the Boy,
Bent on a capture hies;
Scattered blossomy butterflies
Brighten the fields: hands spread, the Boy,
Bent on a capture hies;
The prize beat down, he loudly vaunts
And shows the Girl his victory,
Who prims herself, and pouts, and calls
It wicked cruelty:
And shows the Girl his victory,
Who prims herself, and pouts, and calls
It wicked cruelty:
He, puffing off the fairy down
Of dandelions, links a chain;
Which round her half-turned neck he drops
And brings her to again.
Of dandelions, links a chain;
Which round her half-turned neck he drops
And brings her to again.
Stooping they mark how fretful ants
Do sharply over-run their mound,
Wondering how such tiny things
Heap up the heavy ground.
Do sharply over-run their mound,
Wondering how such tiny things
Heap up the heavy ground.
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They watch the restless swallows skim,
Shaking the highest plumes of grass,
And wonder what the birds can mean
That they so often pass!
Shaking the highest plumes of grass,
And wonder what the birds can mean
That they so often pass!
They gaze where stretched-out languid kine,
Oppressed with noontide, vainly try
By jerking their vexed ears to scare
The pertinacious fly.
Oppressed with noontide, vainly try
By jerking their vexed ears to scare
The pertinacious fly.
How darkly by the shining stream
The tall great poplar giants frown,
Whose water-imaged quivering lengths
Grow in it points adown!
The tall great poplar giants frown,
Whose water-imaged quivering lengths
Grow in it points adown!
Thus wandering in the Golden Age,
They breast the pure unruffled joy
Of perfect day in perfect trust,
A happy Girl and Boy:
They breast the pure unruffled joy
Of perfect day in perfect trust,
A happy Girl and Boy:
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Who breathe the summer's sweetest breath,
Who live without regret or fear,
And feel the dome of smiling heaven
Continually near.
Who live without regret or fear,
And feel the dome of smiling heaven
Continually near.
Altho' especial grace to charm
Exists in nothing they behold,
The alchemy of young delight
Turns everything to gold;
Exists in nothing they behold,
The alchemy of young delight
Turns everything to gold;
To lasting gold of which they dream
In years to come; when storms have torn
And swept to waste both leaf and flower,
And only left the thorn.
In years to come; when storms have torn
And swept to waste both leaf and flower,
And only left the thorn.
Comes creeping chill with ageing day:
Gaunt shadows stride across the land;
Leaves whiten and shudder; while on high
Torn driftings, dark and grand,
Gaunt shadows stride across the land;
Leaves whiten and shudder; while on high
Torn driftings, dark and grand,
29
Charge wildly on where wrestling heaps
Fail in a solid drench of rain,
That dances with the whirling dust
And smokes along the plain.
Fail in a solid drench of rain,
That dances with the whirling dust
And smokes along the plain.
Crouched safe beneath a caverned bank,
Both staring wide with hushed up breath,
Wait till the tempest wings aloof
Or beats itself to death:
Both staring wide with hushed up breath,
Wait till the tempest wings aloof
Or beats itself to death:
When lo, burnt in yon iron gloom
The rainbow born of beauty glows
A burnished splendour! Yet awhile
Brighter its glory grows:
The rainbow born of beauty glows
A burnished splendour! Yet awhile
Brighter its glory grows:
Anon the sky blown clear of storm,
The wonder waning steals away,
Taking the jewelled wealth from heaven,
Leaving discrowned the day.
The wonder waning steals away,
Taking the jewelled wealth from heaven,
Leaving discrowned the day.
30
Again comes forth the conquering sun;
Earth wakes in laughter at the sight,
Myriads of trembling water drops
Brighten to gems of light;
Earth wakes in laughter at the sight,
Myriads of trembling water drops
Brighten to gems of light;
And scattered loose from playful leaves
The diamonds sparkling down in showers
Fall into nothing at their feet
Among the grass and flowers;
The diamonds sparkling down in showers
Fall into nothing at their feet
Among the grass and flowers;
Where baby frogs in puny dots
Leap round about them suddenly,
And must, the sprawling, naked imps,
Have fallen from the sky!
Leap round about them suddenly,
And must, the sprawling, naked imps,
Have fallen from the sky!
Now woodland life, exultant, shrill,
Aroused, as light begins to wear,
Comes thronging in united notes
Thro' rinsed and wholesome air:
Aroused, as light begins to wear,
Comes thronging in united notes
Thro' rinsed and wholesome air:
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From sky and wood, from every hedge
Strike musical mad rivalries;
From stretching plain to zenith rings
A warbling paradise.
Strike musical mad rivalries;
From stretching plain to zenith rings
A warbling paradise.
'Tis fleeting bliss! For songsters all
Subside by fitful breaks and cease,
Leaving the cool and shadowing eve
To brood in silent peace;
Subside by fitful breaks and cease,
Leaving the cool and shadowing eve
To brood in silent peace;
Save lonely chirrups from the grass,
Or late hum swinging sadly by;
Trancing a world whose parted hues
Yet linger in the sky.
Or late hum swinging sadly by;
Trancing a world whose parted hues
Yet linger in the sky.
While deepening dusk binds fast the trees,
And shrubs cling closer to the ground,
Familiar, grown unwonted sights
Are vanishing around:
And shrubs cling closer to the ground,
Familiar, grown unwonted sights
Are vanishing around:
32
While stray rooks dimly seek their haunts,
And elfin shapes glance fluttering near,
The Children think the ways grow strange,
And talk aloud for fear.
And elfin shapes glance fluttering near,
The Children think the ways grow strange,
And talk aloud for fear.
Now all is hushed; and drowzy birds
Bills underneath their wings all sleep;
The last rays lingering slowly leave
The backs of slumbering sheep.
Bills underneath their wings all sleep;
The last rays lingering slowly leave
The backs of slumbering sheep.
Hand locked in hand drawn close they walk
And whisper of to-morrow's schemes;
Their homeward path is moist with dew
Whereon the moonlight gleams.
And whisper of to-morrow's schemes;
Their homeward path is moist with dew
Whereon the moonlight gleams.
| Children (1887) | |