Another Spring

8/13/2019 Another Spring

1/5

ANOTHER SPRING.

If I might see another Spring

I'd not plant summer flowers and wait

I'd ha!e m" #ro#uses at on#e$

%" leafless pin& meereons$ %" #hill(!eined snowdrops$ #hoi#er "et

%" white or aure !iolet$

)eaf(nested primrose* an"thing

To +low at on#e not late.


I'd listen to the da"light +irds

That +uild their nests and pair and sing$

Nor wait for mateless nightingale*

I'd listen to the lust" herds$

The ewes with lam+s as white as snow$

I'd find out musi# in the hail

And all the winds that +low.

If I might see another Spring((

O stinging #omment on m" past

That all m" past results in ,if,((


I'd laugh to(da"$ to(da" is +rief*

I would not wait for an"thing

I'd use to(da" that #annot last$

-e glad to(da" and sing.

A PEA) O -E))S.

Stri&e the +ells wantonl"$

Tin&le tin&le well*

-ring me wine$ +ring me flowers$

Ring the sil!er +ell.

All m" lamps +urn s#ented oil$

Hung on laden orange(trees$

/hose shadowed foliage is the foil

To golden lamps and oranges.

Heap m" golden plates with fruit$

Golden fruit$ fresh(plu#&ed and ripe*

Stri&e the +ells and +reathe the pipe*

Shut out showers from summer hours*

Silen#e that #omplaining lute*

Shut out thin&ing$ shut out pain$

rom hours that #annot #ome again.

Stri&e the +ells solemnl"$

0ing dong deep

%" friend is passing to his +ed$

ast asleep*

There's plaited linen round his head$

/hile foremost go his feet$((

His feet that #annot #arr" him.

%" feast's a show$ m" lights are dim*

-e still$ "our musi# is not sweet$((

There is no musi# more for him


2/5

His lights are out$ his feast is done*

His +owl that spar&led to the +rim

Is drained$ is +ro&en$ #annot hold*

%" +lood is #hill$ his +lood is #old*

His death is full$ and mine +egun.

ATA %ORGANA.

A +lue(e"ed phantom far +efore

Is laughing$ leaping toward the sun*

)i&e lead I #hase it e!ermore$

I pant and run.

It +rea&s the sunlight +ound on +ound*

Goes singing as it leaps along

To sheep(+ells with a dream" sound

A dream" song.

I laugh$ it is so +ris& and ga"*

It is so far +efore$ I weep

I hope I shall lie down some da"$

)ie down and sleep.

,NO$ THAN1 2O3$ 4OHN.,

I ne!er said I lo!ed "ou$ 4ohn

/h" will "ou tease me$ da" +" da"$

And wa5 a weariness to thin& upon

/ith alwa"s ,do, and ,pra",6

2ou &now I ne!er lo!ed "ou$ 4ohn*

No fault of mine made me "our toast

/h" will "ou haunt me with a fa#e as wan

As shows an hour(old ghost6

I dare sa" %eg or %oll would ta&e

Pit" upon "ou$ if "ou'd as&

And pra" don't remain single for m" sa&e

/ho #an't perform that tas&.

I ha!e no heart6((Perhaps I ha!e not*

-ut then "ou're mad to ta&e offen#e

That I don't gi!e "ou what I ha!e not got

3se "our own #ommon sense.

)et +"gones +e +"gones

0on't #all me false$ who owed not to +e true

I'd rather answer ,No, to fift" 4ohns

Than answer ,2es, to "ou.

)et's mar our pleasant da"s no more$

Song(+irds of passage$ da"s of "outh

7at#h at to(da"$ forget the da"s +efore

I'll win& at "our untruth.


3/5

)et us stri&e hands as heart" friends*

No more$ no less and friendship's good

Onl" don't &eep in !iew ulterior ends$

And points not understood

In open treat". Rise a+o!e

8ui++les and shuffling off and on Here's friendship for "ou if "ou li&e* +ut lo!e$((

No$ than& "ou$ 4ohn.

%A2.

I #annot tell "ou how it was*

-ut this I &now it #ame to pass

3pon a +right and +ree" da"

/hen %a" was "oung* ah$ pleasant %a"9

As "et the poppies were not +orn

-etween the +lades of tender #orn*

The last eggs had not hat#hed as "et$

Nor an" +ird foregone its mate.

I #annot tell "ou what it was*

-ut this I &now it did +ut pass.

It passed awa" with sunn" %a"$

/ith all sweet things it passed awa"$

And left me old$ and #old$ and gra".

A PA3SE O THO3GHT.

I loo&ed for that whi#h is not$ nor #an +e$

And hope deferred made m" heart si#& in truth

-ut "ears must pass +efore a hope of "outh

Is resigned utterl".

I wat#hed and waited with a steadfast will

And though the o+:e#t seemed to flee awa"

That I so longed for$ e!er da" +" da"

I wat#hed and waited still.

Sometimes I said This thing shall +e no more*

%" e5pe#tation wearies and shall #ease*

I will resign it now and +e at pea#e

2et ne!er ga!e it o'er.

Sometimes I said It is an empt" name

I long for* to a name wh" should I gi!e

The pea#e of all the da"s I ha!e to li!e6((

2et ga!e it all the same.

Alas$ thou foolish one9 ali&e unfit

or health" :o" and salutar" pain

Thou &nowest the #hase useless$ and again

Turnest to follow it.


4/5

T/I)IGHT 7A)%.

O pleasant e!entide9

7louds on the western side

Grow gra" and gra"er$ hiding the warm sun The +ees and +irds$ their happ" la+ors done$

See& their #lose nests and +ide.

S#reened in the leaf" wood

The sto#&(do!es sit and +rood

The !er" s;uirrel leaps from +ough to +ough

-ut lail"* pauses* and settles now

/here on#e he stored his food.

One +" one the flowers #lose$

)il" and dew" rose

Shutting their tender petals from the moon

The grasshoppers are still* +ut not so soon

Are still the nois" #rows.

The dormouse s;uats and eats

7hoi#e little daint" +its

-eneath the spreading roots of a +road lime*

Ni++ling his fill he stops from time to time

And listens where he sits.

rom far the lowings #ome

Of #attle dri!en home

rom farther still the wind +rings fitfull"

The !ast #ontinual murmur of the sea$

Now loud$ now almost dum+.

The gnats whirl in the air$

The e!ening gnats* and there

The owl opes +road his e"es and wings to sail

or pre"* the +at wa&es* and the shell(less snail

7omes forth$ #lamm" and +are.

Har&9 that's the nightingale$

Telling the self(same tale

Her song told when this an#ient earth was "oung

So e#hoes answered when her song was sung

In the first wooded !ale.

/e #all it lo!e and pain

The passion of her strain*

And "et we little understand or &now

/h" should it not +e rather :o" that so

Thro+s in ea#h thro++ing !ein6

In separate herds the deer

)ie* here the +u#&s$ and here

The does$ and +" its mother sleeps the fawn

Through all the hours of night until the dawn

The" sleep$ forgetting fear.

The hare sleeps where it lies$

/ith war" half(#losed e"es*

The #o#& has #eased to #row$ the hen to #lu#&


5/5

Onl" the fo5 is out$ some heedless du#&

Or #hi#&en to surprise.

Remote$ ea#h single star

7omes out$ till there the" are

All shining +rightl" how the dews fall damp9

/hile #lose at hand the glow(worm lights her lamp Or twin&les from afar.

-ut e!ening now is done

As mu#h as if the sun

0a"(gi!ing had arisen in the east

or night has #ome* and the great #alm has #eased$

The ;uiet sands ha!e run.

Another Spring

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