 | Leaves of life |  |
183
THE MESSAGE OF JUNE.
When baby June kissed dying May,
And on her shroud wild roses laid,
I passed where leafy woods were gay—
All gold, and green, and shine, and shade;
With weary feet, and heart afraid
To tell itself how life was gray.
And on her shroud wild roses laid,
I passed where leafy woods were gay—
All gold, and green, and shine, and shade;
With weary feet, and heart afraid
To tell itself how life was gray.
Aweary of the ways of men,
Aweary of my own way too;
Tired to the soul of book and pen,
And what these do and will not do,—
I passed the beechen coppice through
And reached a hidden quiet glen.
Aweary of my own way too;
Tired to the soul of book and pen,
And what these do and will not do,—
I passed the beechen coppice through
And reached a hidden quiet glen.
Blue sky, gold sun, and pearl-white cloud
And wealth of leaves and lavish flowers,
What were they to a heart the loud
Rough world had claimed too many hours?
I felt I could not feel the powers
That are not felt among the crowd.
And wealth of leaves and lavish flowers,
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Rough world had claimed too many hours?
I felt I could not feel the powers
That are not felt among the crowd.
What could I care for bud or breeze,
Or any sweet the summer brought?
My heart was shut away from these,
Close wound in mummy-folds of thought,
Out of the reach of all that sought
To teach life's open mysteries.
Or any sweet the summer brought?
My heart was shut away from these,
Close wound in mummy-folds of thought,
Out of the reach of all that sought
To teach life's open mysteries.
Gone was my youth, and hope was gone,
And love with these had ceased to be:
Old, ill, unchangeably alone,
What word could summer have for me
That would not be a mockery,
Since all the sweets of life were done?
And love with these had ceased to be:
Old, ill, unchangeably alone,
What word could summer have for me
That would not be a mockery,
Since all the sweets of life were done?
A blackbird whistled, and a bird
Far down the meadow made reply:
Then came a footstep, and I heard
A murmur and a slight light sigh,
And slowly passed two lovers by,
Without a single spoken word.
Far down the meadow made reply:
Then came a footstep, and I heard
A murmur and a slight light sigh,
And slowly passed two lovers by,
Without a single spoken word.
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I saw them pass, and then I strove
Still to call summer vain, forsooth!
The summer laughed through all the grove,
Laughed, and declared the splendid truth,
The immortality of youth,
And the eternity of love!
Still to call summer vain, forsooth!
The summer laughed through all the grove,
Laughed, and declared the splendid truth,
The immortality of youth,
And the eternity of love!
| Leaves of life | |