 | Songs of Fair Weather By Maurice Thompson |  |
69
A MORNING SAIL.
Out of the bight at Augustine
We slowly sailed away;
We saw the lily sunrise lift
Its bloom above the bay.
We slowly sailed away;
We saw the lily sunrise lift
Its bloom above the bay.
Scared birds whisked past with wings aslant
And necks outstretched before;
Some wracks hung low; I thought I heard
A growling down the shore.
And necks outstretched before;
Some wracks hung low; I thought I heard
A growling down the shore.
The Anastasia light went out,
San Marco's tower sunk low;
The long coquina island flung
Its reef across our bow.
San Marco's tower sunk low;
The long coquina island flung
Its reef across our bow.
70
Far southward, where Matanzas shines,
The sea-birds wheel and scream;
A roseate spoon-bill passes like
A fancy in a dream.
The sea-birds wheel and scream;
A roseate spoon-bill passes like
A fancy in a dream.
We laugh and sing;—the gale is on,
The white-caps madly run;
The sloop is caught, we shorten sail,
We scud across the sun!
The white-caps madly run;
The sloop is caught, we shorten sail,
We scud across the sun!
We sport with danger all the morn;
For danger what care we?
We hear the roaring of the reef,
The storm song of the sea!
For danger what care we?
We hear the roaring of the reef,
The storm song of the sea!
71
WILD HONEY.
I.
Where hints of racy sap and gum
Out of the old dark forest come;
Out of the old dark forest come;
Where birds their beaks like hammers wield,
And pith is pierced and bark is peeled;
And pith is pierced and bark is peeled;
Where the green walnut's outer rind
Gives precious bitterness to the wind,—
Gives precious bitterness to the wind,—
There lurks the sweet creative power,
As lurks the honey in the flower.
As lurks the honey in the flower.
72
II.
A subtile effluence floats around
Where sheathéd shootlets break the ground;
Where sheathéd shootlets break the ground;
And in each blossom's magic cup,
From infinite deeps a thought comes up.
From infinite deeps a thought comes up.
III.
In winter's bud that bursts in spring,
In nut of autumn's ripening,
In nut of autumn's ripening,
In acrid bulb beneath the mould,
Sleeps the elixir, strong and old,
Sleeps the elixir, strong and old,
That Rosicrucians sought in vain,—
Life that renews itself again!
Life that renews itself again!
73
IV.
What bottled perfume is so good
As fragrance of split tulip-wood?
As fragrance of split tulip-wood?
What fabled drink of god or muse
Was rich as purple mulberry-juice?
Was rich as purple mulberry-juice?
And what school-polished gem of thought
Is like a rune from Nature caught?
Is like a rune from Nature caught?
V.
He is a poet strong and true
Who loves wild thyme and honey-dew;
Who loves wild thyme and honey-dew;
And like a brown bee works and sings,
With morning freshness on his wings,
With morning freshness on his wings,
And a gold burden on his thighs,—
The pollen-dust of centuries!
The pollen-dust of centuries!
| Songs of Fair Weather By Maurice Thompson | |