Iv

And then I heard it singing, The wind that touched my hair, A song of wild expression, A song that called in session The wild-flowers sweetly swinging, The wild-flowers lightly flinging Their tresses to the air. And first, beneath a bramble arch, The bloodroot rose; each bloom a torch Of hollow snow, within which, bright, The calyx grottoed golden light.

Hepatica and bluet, And gold corydalis, Arose as to an aria; Then wild-phlox and dentaria, In rapture, ere they knew it, Trooped forward, nodding to it, Faint as a first star is.

And then a music,--to the ear Inaudible,--I seemed to hear; A symphony that seemed to rise And speak in colors to the eyes.

I saw the Jacob’s-ladder Ring violet peal on peal Of perfume, azure-swinging; The bluebell slimly ringing Its purple chimes; and, gladder, Green note on note, the madder Bells of the Solomon’s-seal.

Now very near, now faintly lost, I saw their fragrant music tossed; Mixed dimly with white interludes Of trilliums starring cool the woods. Then choral, solitary, I saw the celandine Smite bright its golden cymbals, The starwort shake its timbrels, The whiteheart’s horns of Fairy, With many a flourish airy, Strike silvery into line.

And, lo, my soul they seemed to draw, By chords of loveliness and awe Into a Fairy world afar Where all man’s dreams and longings are.