 | Later Poems |  |
34
To a Wee Laddie
I call you many a name, my king!
No font-name is enough for me,
All prettiness of call I bring
From fairy tale and history;
But mostly after two whereon
A light from Shakespere's spirit fell,
I love to call you, little one;
Even after Puck and Ariel.
No font-name is enough for me,
All prettiness of call I bring
From fairy tale and history;
But mostly after two whereon
A light from Shakespere's spirit fell,
I love to call you, little one;
Even after Puck and Ariel.
And hereby, stranger, may you guess
A little of this laddie's kind,
His pretty ways and mischievousness,
In Ariel and Puck combined;
His nimble, supple movements—oh,
Full oftentimes I cannot tell
If here be Robin Goodfellow,
Or here be delicate Ariel!
A little of this laddie's kind,
His pretty ways and mischievousness,
In Ariel and Puck combined;
His nimble, supple movements—oh,
Full oftentimes I cannot tell
If here be Robin Goodfellow,
Or here be delicate Ariel!
I think I should not wonder much,
My little tricksy Puck, some day
To see the dairy at your touch
Play some queer prank and melt away.
I know when bowls of cream are set
Their calm is very oft assailed;
And sometimes, Puck, you quite forget
That butter fails if cream has failed.
My little tricksy Puck, some day
To see the dairy at your touch
Play some queer prank and melt away.
I know when bowls of cream are set
Their calm is very oft assailed;
And sometimes, Puck, you quite forget
That butter fails if cream has failed.
35
Full often, Ariel mine, you work
Most bravely for an hour or so,
And 'neath your gravity scarce will lurk
A touch of Robin Goodfellow;
But then you claim, as Ariel claimed,
That shortly I should set you free,
And boldly ask, and unashamed,
For time of gladsome liberty.
Most bravely for an hour or so,
And 'neath your gravity scarce will lurk
A touch of Robin Goodfellow;
But then you claim, as Ariel claimed,
That shortly I should set you free,
And boldly ask, and unashamed,
For time of gladsome liberty.
And, gently be your spriting done,
You seldom let one quite forget
You want the time of spriting gone,—
Away from task and lesson set!
Away, away, to joyous play,
Such play as Ariel could not know;
You sport with human younglings gay,
More blest than Robin Goodfellow.
You seldom let one quite forget
You want the time of spriting gone,—
Away from task and lesson set!
Away, away, to joyous play,
Such play as Ariel could not know;
You sport with human younglings gay,
More blest than Robin Goodfellow.
I know you often plague your maid,
My bonnie Robin Goodfellow!
And yet I know the girl, unpaid,
Would gladly follow you to and fro:
For you have that within you, dear,
Which somehow seems to cheer and bless;
The ether is always blue and clear
Beyond fleece-clouds of naughtiness.
My bonnie Robin Goodfellow!
And yet I know the girl, unpaid,
Would gladly follow you to and fro:
For you have that within you, dear,
Which somehow seems to cheer and bless;
The ether is always blue and clear
Beyond fleece-clouds of naughtiness.
O laddie, how your voice goes up
In melody at church, as though
Your soul were just an incense-cup
Wherefrom sweet clouds of worship go!
One scarce would think that, in the pause
Antiphonal, it could be true
You fain would eat that apple, was
Under the rose bestowed on you.
In melody at church, as though
Your soul were just an incense-cup
Wherefrom sweet clouds of worship go!
One scarce would think that, in the pause
Antiphonal, it could be true
You fain would eat that apple, was
Under the rose bestowed on you.
36
But there be times, oh, rarely sweet!
Times when my whole soul knoweth well
Beside me walk an angel's feet,
Not feet of Puck nor Ariel:
A human angel, with the eyes
That sure have met the eyes of God,
In walking through some Paradise
Where feet of mine have never trod.
Times when my whole soul knoweth well
Beside me walk an angel's feet,
Not feet of Puck nor Ariel:
A human angel, with the eyes
That sure have met the eyes of God,
In walking through some Paradise
Where feet of mine have never trod.
I have no name to call you by,
My darling, at such times as this;
I only watch you reverently,
And in the silence bend to kiss
That sweetest face and loveliest
Has e'er been looked upon by me,
Who entertain this angel guest,
Not unawares, but wittingly.
My darling, at such times as this;
I only watch you reverently,
And in the silence bend to kiss
That sweetest face and loveliest
Has e'er been looked upon by me,
Who entertain this angel guest,
Not unawares, but wittingly.
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