THE APRIL WIND AND MILK-MAID
1
Soft blows the April wind my love
Over the green silk grass
Heaves in the leafing trees above
And fans the milking lass
The ribbons on her bonnet poke
Flutter like startled birds
Plays in her curls, and almost spoke
Like lovers wispered words
She turns around but none is nigh
Save plovers in a cloudy sky
2
How beautiful her drapery swims
As down the path she goes
How lovely shade her well turn'd limbs
Through her wind folding clothes
It bows in every silken flower
And trembles in the grass
At morning and at evening hour
Where goes the Milking lass
It flutters in her folding gown
And sings spring music to the town
3
The April wind is soft and sweet
Flying o'er meadows—kissing flowers
Flirting round maidens slippered feet
Before it drops in sprinkling showers
A playful thing the April wind
That dances through the silken grass
And flutters in her gown behind
As singing goes the milking lass
O'er closes green—o'er fallows brown
Then bears her milk-pails to the town
