For stately trees in rich array,
For sunlight all the happy day,
For blossoms radiant and rare,
For skies when
daylight closes,
For joyous, clear, outpouring song
From birds that all the green wood throng,
For all things young, and
bright, and fair,
We praise thee,
Month of Roses!
For blue, blue skies of summer calm,
For fragrant odors breathing balm,
For quiet, cooling shades
where oft
The weary head
reposes,
For brooklets babbling thro’ the
fields
Where Earth her choicest treasures yields,
For all things tender, sweet
and soft,
We love thee,
Month of Roses!
ELAINE.
SPRING SONG.
Oh, the little streams are running,
Running,
running!—
Oh, the little streams are running
O’er
the lea;
And the green soft grass is springing,
Springing,
springing!—
And the green soft grass is springing,
Fair
to see.
In the woods the breezes whisper,
Whisper,
whisper!—
In the woods the breezes whisper
To
the flowers;
And the robins sing their welcome,
Welcome,
welcome!—
And the robins sing their welcome,—
Happy
hours!
Over all the sun is shining,
Shining,
shining!—
Over all the sun is shining,
Clear
and bright,—
Flooding bare and waiting meadows,
Meadows,
meadows!—
Flooding bare and waiting meadows
With
his light.
Sky Farm, March, ’76. ELAINE.
[Grown people often write in sympathy with children, but here is a little poem by a child written in sympathy with grown folks:]
ASHES OF ROSES.
Soft on the sunset sky
Bright daylight closes,
Leaving, when light doth die,
Pale hues that mingling lie—
Ashes of roses.
When love’s warm sun is set,
Love’s brightness closes;
Eyes with hot tears are wet,
In hearts there linger yet
Ashes of roses.
ELAINE.
SUMMER IS COMING.
“Summer is coming!” the soft
breezes whisper;
“Summer is coming!”
the glad birdies sing.
Summer is coming—I hear her
quick footsteps;
Take your last look at the
beautiful Spring.
Lightly she steps from her throne in the
woodlands:
“Summer is coming, and
I cannot stay;
Two of my children have crept from my
bosom:
April has left me but lingering
May.
“What tho’ bright Summer is
crowned with roses.
Deep in the forest Arbutus
doth hide;
I am the herald of all the rejoicing;
Why must June always disown
me?” she cried.
Down in the meadow she stoops to the daisies,
Plucks the first bloom from
the apple-tree’s bough:
“Autumn will rob me of all the sweet
apples;
I will take one from her store
of them now.”