Narcissus and Other Poems By E. Carpenter |
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A SUMMER DAY.
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 | Narcissus and Other Poems |  |
125
A SUMMER DAY.
Love from the mountains led his sheep,
Once, on a summer day,
Into a valley green and deep,
Under rock-ramparts gray;
Once, on a summer day,
Into a valley green and deep,
Under rock-ramparts gray;
Sat on a stone where the waters run
Rippling the hours away,
Touched his lute in the light of the sun,—
That was a summer day;
Rippling the hours away,
Touched his lute in the light of the sun,—
That was a summer day;
Prayed in his heart for love which is fair,
Prayed as the lonely pray;
Love which is fire when life is air
Laden with fragrant May;
Prayed as the lonely pray;
Love which is fire when life is air
Laden with fragrant May;
128
And as the leaflets lisped, and their shade
Shifted like emerald spray,
Paused and peered evermore as he prayed
Love might pass that way.
Shifted like emerald spray,
Paused and peered evermore as he prayed
Love might pass that way.
Then from the meads below the vale,
Love, with a high sweet song,
Came through the thickets, where roses trail
Elder-bushes among;
Love, with a high sweet song,
Came through the thickets, where roses trail
Elder-bushes among;
Reeled as she went a homely thread
Spun from a distaff-prong,
Singing until her heart was wed
Unto her own clear song;
Spun from a distaff-prong,
Singing until her heart was wed
Unto her own clear song;
Sang to the light and the sun-lit glen,
Prayed for love which is strong;
Love which leads with a light look, when
Life cannot bind with a thong.
Prayed for love which is strong;
Love which leads with a light look, when
Life cannot bind with a thong.
And as she wound by the hedgerows, where
Daisies and buttercups throng,
Listened and looked evermore, lest there
Love might reply to her song.
Daisies and buttercups throng,
Listened and looked evermore, lest there
Love might reply to her song.
129
So the sheep, as the day grew red,
Straggled and went astray;
Out of a listless hand the thread
Leapt, and was lost on the way;
Straggled and went astray;
Out of a listless hand the thread
Leapt, and was lost on the way;
But ere Night o'er the mountains mute
Wafted her wings along,
Love met love below, and the lute
Tuned itself to the song.
Wafted her wings along,
Love met love below, and the lute
Tuned itself to the song.
| Narcissus and Other Poems | |