In our earth: "We must go clinking And they must have a place There must be rest For those that cannot longer III They speak of death Among deep roots of grass; They speak of death Among deep waves of glass. They tell of light, and star, and love— But who shall ever them believe? The earth is not the sea, Nor sea the earth can be; But death is much the same To them, and me— It is but one felicity! Marsden Hartley I made a ring of leaves On the autumn grass; I was a fairy queen all day. Inside the ring, the wind wore sandals The caterpillars, like little snow men, Had wound themselves in their winter coats. And their fingers fluttered. I was a queen of yellow leaves and brown, For the wind blew near Though he made no noise of going, Like the caterpillars Even a queen of fairies can be cold When summer has forgotten and gone! Keep me warm, red leaves; Don't let the frost tiptoe into my ring On the magic grass! THE DREAM When I slept, I thought I was upon the mountain-tops, saw the little people come out into the night, I saw their wings glittering under the stars; And crickets played all the tunes they knew. It was so comfortable with light Stars, a rainbow, the moon! The fairies had shiny crowns On their bright hair. The bottoms of their little gowns were roses: And the fairy queen Oh, it was all golden where she came, She walked slowly to her high throne, And watched the dancing that went on On the mountain-tops. BUTTERFLY Butterfly, I like the way you wear your wings. For the light is going. Spread out their edges of gold, Before the Sandman puts me to sleep EVENING Now it is dusky, And the hermit-thrush and the black-and-white warbler Are singing and answering together. There is sweetness in the tree, And fireflies are counting the leaves. I like this country, I like the way it has, But I cannot forget my dream I had of the sea, The gulls swinging and calling, And the foamy towers of the waves. THUNDER SHOWER The dark cloud raged: Gone was the morning light. The big drops darted down, The storm stood tall on the rose-trees; And the bees that were getting honey Out of wet roses, The hiding bees would not come out of the flowers Into the rain. RED CROSS SONG When I heard the bees humming in the hive, I said to my mother, What can I give, What can I give to help the Red Cross? And Mother said to me You can give honey too! Honey of smiles! Honey of love! ROSE-MOSS "Little Rose-moss beside the stone, Are you lonely in the garden? There are no friends of you, And the birds are gone: Shall I pick you?" "Little girl up by the hollyhock, I am not lonely. I feel the sun burning, I hold light in my cup, I have all the rain I want, I think things to myself that you don't know, And I listen to the talk of crickets. I am not lonely, But you may pick me And take me to your mother." THE CHAMPLAIN SANDMAN The Sandman comes searching across the Bay. To put sand in little girls' eyes. That is why I go to my sleepy bed, And why the lake-gull leaves the moon alone: Only the Sandman's hair. Hilda Conkling (seven years old) SPARKLES I See, I am bringing you happiness- The trees are full of witchery, II The rose-bush is afire with roses. I could make a flag of flowers: The corn-flowers are as deep as the blue, III July is a time of fireworks: Some leave a trail of light like a comet; One is a rainbow; One makes a geyser of fire, And one an eddy of stars. Winter fire has thoughts. Elmond Franklin McNaught (nine years old) IN THE MORNING In the morning I hear the night Pitifully crying, And the leaves, Standing on their little arms, Sing and sing. In the daylight, When the sun is rising, It is so sweet To hear the trees dance; For when they dance They sing a little song For the people whom they love so. For those who are good they sing a good song, And so it always goes! Juliana Allison Bond (four years old) |