 | Poems by Henry Septimus Sutton |  |
24
THE DAISY.
A gold and silver cup
Upon a pillar green,
Earth holds her Daisy up
To catch the sunshine in;—
A dial-plant, set there
To show each radiant hour;—
A field-astronomer,
A sun-observing flower;—
Upon a pillar green,
Earth holds her Daisy up
To catch the sunshine in;—
A dial-plant, set there
To show each radiant hour;—
A field-astronomer,
A sun-observing flower;—
A little rounded croft
Where wingëd kine may graze;—
A golden meadow soft,
Quadrille-ground for young fays;—
A fenced-in yellow plot
With pales milk-white and clean,
Each tipt with crimson spot
And set in ground of green.
Where wingëd kine may graze;—
A golden meadow soft,
Quadrille-ground for young fays;—
A fenced-in yellow plot
With pales milk-white and clean,
Each tipt with crimson spot
And set in ground of green.
25
The children with delight
To meet the Daisy run;
They love to see how bright
She shines upon the sun.
Like lowly white-crown'd queen
She graciously doth bend,
And stands with quiet mien
The little children's friend.
To meet the Daisy run;
They love to see how bright
She shines upon the sun.
Like lowly white-crown'd queen
She graciously doth bend,
And stands with quiet mien
The little children's friend.
Sometimes the Daisy's seen,
A simple rustic maid,
In comely gown of green,
And pure white frill array'd,
Dreaming, like one in mood
Of hope by fancy spun,
Awaiting to be wooed,
And willing to be won.
A simple rustic maid,
In comely gown of green,
And pure white frill array'd,
Dreaming, like one in mood
Of hope by fancy spun,
Awaiting to be wooed,
And willing to be won.
The dandy Butterfly,
All exquisitely dress'd,
Before the Daisy's eye
Displays his velvet vest;
In vain is he array'd
In all that gaudy show;
What need hath rustic maid
Of such a foppish beau?
All exquisitely dress'd,
Before the Daisy's eye
Displays his velvet vest;
In vain is he array'd
In all that gaudy show;
What need hath rustic maid
Of such a foppish beau?
26
The vagrant Bee but sings
For what he gets thereby,
Nor comes, except he brings
His pocket on his thigh;
Then let him start aside
And woo some wealthier flower;
The Daisy's not his bride,
She hath no honey-dower.
For what he gets thereby,
Nor comes, except he brings
His pocket on his thigh;
Then let him start aside
And woo some wealthier flower;
The Daisy's not his bride,
She hath no honey-dower.
The Gnat, old back-bent fellow,
In frugal frieze-coat drest,
Seeks on her carpet yellow
His tottering limbs to rest;
He woos her with eyes dim,
Voice thin, and aspect sage;—
What careth she for him?
What mate is youth for age?
In frugal frieze-coat drest,
Seeks on her carpet yellow
His tottering limbs to rest;
He woos her with eyes dim,
Voice thin, and aspect sage;—
What careth she for him?
What mate is youth for age?
Upon her head she lifts,
Where they can best be seen,
Her little golden gifts
In white-fringed basket green:
Still ready to be met
In every passing hour,
The little children's pet,
Their ever-faithful flower.
Where they can best be seen,
Her little golden gifts
In white-fringed basket green:
Still ready to be met
In every passing hour,
The little children's pet,
Their ever-faithful flower.
| Poems by Henry Septimus Sutton | |