 | A Flight of Fancies |  |
108
FATHER'S POEM
Our Christopher has just begun
His second journey round the sun.
His second journey round the sun.
If I may judge from what I heard
To-night, he nearly knows a word.
To-night, he nearly knows a word.
At many adjectives and nouns
And strange diminutives he frowns,
And strange diminutives he frowns,
And often seems to search his brain
For language of another strain,
For language of another strain,
As if in hope to recollect
Expressions that are more correct:
Expressions that are more correct:
The kind that baby angels speak
Instead of Double Dutch or Greek.
Instead of Double Dutch or Greek.
It's wonderful how hard he tries
To learn the pair of dazzling eyes
To learn the pair of dazzling eyes
That mother him; the lips that make
Poppy and rosebud for his sake.
Poppy and rosebud for his sake.
109
It's wonderful how chuckling goes
Along his body to his toes.
Along his body to his toes.
If children of the ivy-tree
Can hold, as Christopher to me
Can hold, as Christopher to me
When, with his fingers round my thumb,
He listens to the tune I hum,
He listens to the tune I hum,
The infant tendrils need not fear
The bravest wind of all the year.
The bravest wind of all the year.
To bend above him in his bed
Is melody for heart and head;
Is melody for heart and head;
To see him lifted from his cot
To brighten day is grief forgot.
To brighten day is grief forgot.
'Twill take the Lord a long, long while
To teach the boy a lovelier smile
To teach the boy a lovelier smile
Than that he gives when once again
Above his tiny counterpane
Above his tiny counterpane
He sees the pair of lips that make
Rosebud and poppy for his sake.
Rosebud and poppy for his sake.
| A Flight of Fancies | |