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Poems

By W. C. Bennett: New ed
  

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A WINTER SONG.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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A WINTER SONG.

Crackle and blaze,
Crackle and blaze,
There's snow on the housetops; there's ice on the ways;
But the keener the season
The stronger's the reason
Our ceiling should flicker and glow in thy blaze.
So fire—piled fire,
Leap, fire, and shout;
Be it warmer within
As 'tis colder without,
And as curtains we draw and around the hearth close,
As we glad us with talk of great frosts and deep snows,

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As redly thy warmth on the shadow'd wall plays,
We'll say Winter's evenings outmatch Summer's days,
And a song, jolly roarer, we'll shout in thy praise;
So crackle and blaze,
Crackle and blaze,
While roaring the chorus goes round in thy praise.
Crackle and blaze,
Crackle and blaze,
There's ice on the ponds; there are leaves on the ways;
But the barer each tree
The more reason have we
To joy in the summer that roars in thy blaze.
So fire, piled fire,
The lustier shout
The louder the winds shriek
And roar by without,
And as, red through the curtains, go out with thy light
Pleasant thoughts of warm firesides across the dark night,
Passers by, hastening on, shall be loud in thy praise;
And while spark with red spark in thy curling smoke plays;
Within, the loud song to thy honour we'll raise.
So crackle and blaze,
Crackle and blaze,
While roaring the chorus goes round in thy praise.