Not the waste Arcadian woodland, wet
  Still with dawn and vocal with Alpheus,
Reared a nursling worthier love’s regret,
  Lord, than this, whose eyes beholden free us
Straight from bonds the soul would fain forget,
  Fain cast off, that night and day might see us
Clear once more of life’s vain fume and fret: 
  Leave us, then, whate’er thy doom decree us,
Yet some days wherein to love him yet.

VI.

Yet some days wherein the child is ours,
  Ours, not thine, O lord whose hand is o’er us
Always, as the sky with suns and showers
  Dense and radiant, soundless or sonorous;
Yet some days for love’s sake, ere the bowers
  Fade wherein his fair first years kept chorus
Night and day with Graces robed like hours,
  Ere this worshipped childhood wane before us,
Change, and bring forth fruit—­but no more flowers.

VII.

Love we may the thing that is to be,
  Love we must; but how forego this olden
Joy, this flower of childish love, that we
  Held more dear than aught of Time is holden—­
Time, whose laugh is like as Death’s to see—­
  Time, who heeds not aught of all beholden,
Heard, or touched in passing—­flower or tree,
  Tares or grain of leaden days or golden—­
More than wind has heed of ships at sea?

VIII.

First the babe, a very rose of joy,
  Sweet as hope’s first note of jubilation,
Passes:  then must growth and change destroy
  Next the child, and mar the consecration
Hallowing yet, ere thought or sense annoy,
  Childhood’s yet half heavenlike habitation,
Bright as truth and frailer than a toy;
  Whence its guest with eager gratulation
Springs, and life grows larger round the boy.

IX.

Yet, ere sunrise wholly cease to shine,
  Ere change come to chide our hearts, and scatter
Memories marked for love’s sake with a sign,
  Let the light of dawn beholden flatter
Yet some while our eyes that feed on thine,
  Child, with love that change nor time can shatter,
Love, whose silent song says more than mine
  Now, though charged with elder loves and latter
Here it hails a lord whose years are nine.

AFTER A READING.

For the seven times seventh time love would renew
        the delight without end or alloy
That it takes in the praise as it takes in the presence
        of eyes that fulfil it with joy;
But how shall it praise them and rest unrebuked
        by the presence and pride of the boy?

Praise meet for a child is unmeet for an elder
        whose winters and springs are nine
What song may have strength in its wings to expand them,
        or light in its eyes to shine,
That shall seem not as weakness and darkness if matched
        with the theme I would fain make mine?