A PARTING golden haze Reveals a lime-girt place Of garden-alleys still That wonders fill -- Fruit-feasting while the slow Fountain-rain laps below Cold-dreaming naiades' Long green-grey knees -- Great hats and low ripe hair; Sacque-bosoms almost bare; Silk skirts soft-puffed and wide, Drooping beside -- Small faces, hesitant, pale -- Gowns -- trees -- all tremulous, frail; Faint violet, faint green, Faint rose scarce-seen. Where is this gathering's Dance-consort of slim strings? In it I long to play The viola Tuned to the undertone Of water plashing down Deep marble honey-dull Of ripples full. Mid bergomask or fain Impossible pavane The blue bird of romance Floats o'er the dance. A madam elegant, A dandy figurant In vain the bird pursue (As I do too); Yet it is near, so near, This land fantastic, dear (Where none but one can come) The bird drops home. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...FLANNAN ISLE by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON THE SHADOW ON THE STONE by THOMAS HARDY NO COMING TO GOD WITHOUT CHRIST by ROBERT HERRICK A WOMAN'S QUESTION by ADELAIDE ANNE PROCTER OUR MASTER by JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER |