RED EUCALYPTUS BLOSSOMS

A flame of scarlet

Flares in the tree-tops;
It spreads like wild-fire
And runs crackling over
The blue-green leaves.

THE JACARANDA

The purple breeze

Sings through the jacaranda

And wings away,

Leaving the shadows to flower.

THE OLIVE TREE

Branches of blowing rain,
Of gray-winding winds,
Of twilight brooding.

BOUGAINVILLEA

Garlands of royal purple; Proud, regal notes of pageantry Sounding imperial color;

A fanfare of trumpets

Triumphant, barbaric;

Bells and chimes and cymbals Clanging crimson.

SEA-GARDENS AVALON

Sea-wind, sea-wind,
Gently go-

Over the sapphire waters

Where anemones glow,

On the crest of the waves

Where the foam-flowers blow

Soft as light,

White as snow.

Sea-wind, sea-wind,

Softly sing;

For the water-bells lightly

Bubble and ring;

Where the golden kelp-weeds

Curl and swing,

And a flying-fish,

On gauzy wing,

Whirs

Glistening.

NEW-BORN

A breath of sleep waking,
Warm as rose-pink breaking
Over petals sunglown.
Folding and unfolding
Are the tiny fingers holding
The world unknown!

LULLABIES

I

Sleep, my little sun-god,
Dream of gold and blue!
Skies that shone with song-light

Swing their bells of dew,
Tapping silver music

Soft and low for you.

Listen! they are singing,

"Little one, dream true."

II

Hush! the brooding wood-notes

Fainter grow;

Violet are the vineyards,

Wine-winds blow;

Purple music hymning

Deep and low.

THE SINGING SANDS

Over the graying desert

Broods the sky.

Clouds drift-sands shift

Night winds sigh.

Through the hush and stillness

Silver shadows fly.

In the sand a foot-fall

Sings and passes by.

Lucy Eddy

CHINESE POEMS

THE ORPHAN

To be an orphan,

To be fated to be an orphan,

How bitter is this lot!

When my father and mother were alive
I used to ride in a fine carriage

Driving four horses;

But when my father and mother died,

My brother and his wife made of me a merchant.
In the South I travelled to the Nine Rivers

And in the East as far as Ch'i and Lu.

At the end of the year when I came home

I dared not tell them what I had suffered

Of the lice and vermin in my head,

Of the dust in my face and eyes.

My brother told me to get ready the dinner;
My sister-in-law told me to see after the horses.
I was always going up into the hall

And running down again to the parlor.

My tears fell like a shower of rain.

In the morning they sent me to draw water;

I didn't get back till night-fall.

My hands were all sore,

And I hadn't any shoes;

I walked the cold earth

Treading on the thorns and brambles.

As I stopped to pull out the thorns,
How bitter my heart was!-
My tears fell and fell

And I went on sobbing and sobbing.
In winter I have no great-coat,
Nor in summer thin clothes.

It is no pleasure to be alive;

I had rather quickly leave this earth
And go beneath the Yellow Springs.
The April winds blow

And the grass grows so green:

In the third month, silk worms and mulberries;

In the sixth month, the melon-harvest.

I went out with the melon-cart,

And just as I was coming home

The melon-cart turned over.

The people who came to help me were few,
But the people who ate the melons were many.
All they left me was the stalks;

I took them home as fast as I could.

My brother and sister-in-law were harsh;
They asked me all sorts of awful questions.
Why does every one in the village blame me?
I want to write a letter and send it
To my father and mother under the earth
And tell them I can't go on any longer
Living with my brother and my sister-in-law.

Anonymous-First Century B. C.