 | Pomander of Verse |  |
15
LAVENDER
17
LULLABY
Sleep, sleep, my treasure,
The long day's pleasure
Has tired the birds, to their nests they creep;
The garden still is
Alight with lilies,
But all the daisies are fast asleep.
The long day's pleasure
Has tired the birds, to their nests they creep;
The garden still is
Alight with lilies,
But all the daisies are fast asleep.
Sleep, sleep, my darling,
Dawn wakes the starling,
The sparrow stirs when he sees day break;
But all the meadow
Is wrapped in shadow,
And you must sleep till the daisies wake!
Dawn wakes the starling,
The sparrow stirs when he sees day break;
But all the meadow
Is wrapped in shadow,
And you must sleep till the daisies wake!
18
CHILD'S SONG IN SPRING
The silver birch is a dainty lady,
She wears a satin gown;
The elm tree makes the old churchyard shady,
She will not live in town.
She wears a satin gown;
The elm tree makes the old churchyard shady,
She will not live in town.
The English oak is a sturdy fellow,
He gets his green coat late;
The willow is smart in a suit of yellow,
While brown the beech trees wait.
He gets his green coat late;
The willow is smart in a suit of yellow,
While brown the beech trees wait.
Such a gay green gown God gives the larches—
As green as He is good!
The hazels hold up their arms for arches
When Spring rides through the wood.
As green as He is good!
The hazels hold up their arms for arches
When Spring rides through the wood.
The chestnut's proud, and the lilac's pretty,
The poplar's gentle and tall,
But the plane tree's kind to the poor dull city—
love him best of all!
The poplar's gentle and tall,
But the plane tree's kind to the poor dull city—
love him best of all!
19
DREAM-DEW
White bird of love, lie warm upon my breast,
White flower of love, lie cool against my face!
Teach me to dream again a little space
Ere this dream, too, sink earthward with the rest.
White flower of love, lie cool against my face!
Teach me to dream again a little space
Ere this dream, too, sink earthward with the rest.
Teach me to dream my heart still pure as snow,
Teach me to dream my lips deserve this grace:
Then let me wake in some forgotten place,
And know you gone, but never see you go.
Teach me to dream my lips deserve this grace:
Then let me wake in some forgotten place,
And know you gone, but never see you go.
20
DAY AND NIGHT
Night, ambushed in the darkling wood,
Waited to seize the sleeping field,
His sentinels the pine trees stood
Till the sun fell beneath his shield.
Then when the day at last was dead,
Night, in his might, marched conquering,
Across the land his banner spread,
And reigned as victor and as King.
Waited to seize the sleeping field,
His sentinels the pine trees stood
Till the sun fell beneath his shield.
Then when the day at last was dead,
Night, in his might, marched conquering,
Across the land his banner spread,
And reigned as victor and as King.
And you and I—all days apart
Rejoiced to see Night's victory,
Because he has a kindlier heart
Than Day wears with his sovereignty:
Day keeps us prisoned close, but Night
Lifts off Day's chains, and all night through
You dream of me, my life's delight,
And all night through I dream of you.
Rejoiced to see Night's victory,
Because he has a kindlier heart
Than Day wears with his sovereignty:
Day keeps us prisoned close, but Night
Lifts off Day's chains, and all night through
You dream of me, my life's delight,
And all night through I dream of you.
21
THE SPELL
Our boat has drifted with the stream
That stirs the river's full sweet bosom,
And now she stays where gold flags gleam
By meadow-sweet's pale foam of blossom.
That stirs the river's full sweet bosom,
And now she stays where gold flags gleam
By meadow-sweet's pale foam of blossom.
Sedge-warblers sing the sun the song
The nightingale sings to the shadows;
Forget-me-nots grow all along
The fringes of the happy meadows.
The nightingale sings to the shadows;
Forget-me-nots grow all along
The fringes of the happy meadows.
See the wet lilies' golden beads!
The river-nymphs for necklace string them,
And in the sighing of the reeds
You hear the song their lovers sing them.
The river-nymphs for necklace string them,
And in the sighing of the reeds
You hear the song their lovers sing them.
Gold sun, blue air, green shimmering leaves,
The weir's old song—the wood's old story—
Such spells the enchanting Summer weaves
She holds me in a web of glory.
The weir's old song—the wood's old story—
Such spells the enchanting Summer weaves
She holds me in a web of glory.
22
And you—with head against my arm
And subtle wiles that seek to hold me—
Not even you can add a charm
To the sweet sorceries that enfold me.
And subtle wiles that seek to hold me—
Not even you can add a charm
To the sweet sorceries that enfold me.
Yet lean there still! The hour is ours;
If we should move the charm might shiver
And joyless sun and scentless flowers
Might mock a disenchanted river.
If we should move the charm might shiver
And joyless sun and scentless flowers
Might mock a disenchanted river.
23
SEED-TIME AND HARVEST
My hollyhocks are all awake,
And not a single rose is lost;
My wallflowers, for dear pity's sake,
Have fought the winter's cruel frost;
Pink peony buds begin to peer,
And flags push up their sword-blades fine:
I know there will not be this year
A brighter garden plot than mine.
And not a single rose is lost;
My wallflowers, for dear pity's sake,
Have fought the winter's cruel frost;
Pink peony buds begin to peer,
And flags push up their sword-blades fine:
I know there will not be this year
A brighter garden plot than mine.
I'll sow the seeds of mignonette,
Of snapdragon and sunflowers tall,
And scarlet poppies I will set
To flower against the southern wall;
Already all my lilies show
The green crowns baby lilies wear,
And all my flowers will grow and blow,
Because Love's hand has set them there.
Of snapdragon and sunflowers tall,
And scarlet poppies I will set
To flower against the southern wall;
Already all my lilies show
The green crowns baby lilies wear,
And all my flowers will grow and blow,
Because Love's hand has set them there.
24
I'll plant and water, sow and weed,
Till not an inch of earth shows brown,
And take a vow of each small seed
To grow to greenness and renown:
And then some day you'll pass my way,
See gold and crimson, bell and star,
And catch my garden's soul, and say:
“How sweet these cottage gardens are!”
Till not an inch of earth shows brown,
And take a vow of each small seed
To grow to greenness and renown:
And then some day you'll pass my way,
See gold and crimson, bell and star,
And catch my garden's soul, and say:
“How sweet these cottage gardens are!”
25
SURRENDER
The wild wind wails in the poplar tree,
I sit here alone.
O heart of my heart, come hither to me!
Come to me straight over land and sea,
My soul—my own!
I sit here alone.
O heart of my heart, come hither to me!
Come to me straight over land and sea,
My soul—my own!
Not now—the clock's slow tick I hear,
And nothing more.
The year is dying, the leaves are sere,
No ghost of the beautiful young crowned year
Knocks at my door.
And nothing more.
The year is dying, the leaves are sere,
No ghost of the beautiful young crowned year
Knocks at my door.
But one of these nights, a wild, late night,
I, waiting within,
Shall hear your hand on the latch—and spite
Of prudence and folly and wrong and right,
I shall let you in.
I, waiting within,
Shall hear your hand on the latch—and spite
Of prudence and folly and wrong and right,
I shall let you in.
| Pomander of Verse | |