 | The Poet and Nature and The Morning Road |  |
THE FAËRY CHILD.
A wild rose in the east,
The rose of dawn;
A splendor, like the feast
Of Babylon.
The rose of dawn;
A splendor, like the feast
Of Babylon.
A Faëry Child I met
Upon the way;
Her hair with dew was wet
And like a ray.
Upon the way;
Her hair with dew was wet
And like a ray.
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She met me with a laugh,
And then a word;
While leaning on my staff
I stood and heard:
And then a word;
While leaning on my staff
I stood and heard:
“Come, let me walk with you
The morning way!
Look in my eyes of blue—
I am a Fay.
The morning way!
Look in my eyes of blue—
I am a Fay.
“I leave no songs unsung;
My heart is brave;
Mankind I walk among
To help and save.
My heart is brave;
Mankind I walk among
To help and save.
“The world may have beguiled—
Give it no thought!
Think on the Faëry Child
It never caught.
Give it no thought!
Think on the Faëry Child
It never caught.
“Who weaves you roses; rare,
An anadem;
And far away from care
Leads you 'mid them.”
An anadem;
And far away from care
Leads you 'mid them.”
A butterfly, a bee,
Now there, now here,
She flew, then kisses three
Gave eye and ear.
Now there, now here,
She flew, then kisses three
Gave eye and ear.
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And all the road that leads
Into the glooms,
Dark, overgrown with weeds,
And marked with tombs,
Into the glooms,
Dark, overgrown with weeds,
And marked with tombs,
Glittered in golden wise,
As if for trysts
Of spirits of the skies,
Clothed white in mists.
As if for trysts
Of spirits of the skies,
Clothed white in mists.
And lo! I looked again—
The child was gone;
And down the dewy lane
Came bright the dawn.
The child was gone;
And down the dewy lane
Came bright the dawn.
| The Poet and Nature and The Morning Road | |