On a flower in a forest, A lily-bosom'd flower, (Where never windy tempest Came, nor ever any shower) -- A golden hour of birthtide, (The sky was blue, so blue!) Left me lying 'mid a songtide Of birds of every hue. Upon the white flower swaying I laughed and sang in glee, Till the thrushes long delaying Sang back deliciously; And the dear white cloudlets sleeping Up in the blue, blue sky, Seem'd downy cherubs peeping Between the pine boughs high. A little wind came blowing And sang a wild-wood song, It whispered of the flowing Of bubbling streams along; I laughed, and stood, and rising Found I had two small wings -- So then I flew rejoicing Toward the water-springs. And ever 'mid my flying, (A little cloud I seem'd!) I heard a great deep sighing, As earth in trouble dream'd; And when I reached the river The sound more windlike blew: The glad stream lisped "for ever," But the sighing grew and grew. And as I laughed and wonder'd Among the flowers and grass, All suddenly it thunder'd, The sunlight seem'd to pass: A great wind took and blew me Across a grey wet sand, And tho' I wept it threw me Far from the joyous land. And now the salt waves leaping Pursue with hungry springs, And baffled, blind, and weeping, I beat my draggled wings: This was the great deep sighing I heard when I was young -- And now, wind-weary, dying, My last sob-note is sung! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...AN INTERVIEW WITH MILES STANDISH by JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL THE LAIRD O' COCKPEN by CAROLINA OLIPHANT NAIRNE SONNET: 104 by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE SHE PASSED THIS WAY by ANNA M. ACKERMANN THE ART OF PRESERVING HEALTH: BOOK 2. THE GASTRIC MUSE by JOHN ARMSTRONG |