The lichen of affection takes as long,Or longer,ere it lovingly enfolds A place which since without it were bereft,All stript and bare,shorn of its chiefest grace.
For what to us were halls and corridors However large and fitting,if we part With this which is our birthright;if we lose A sentiment profound,unsoundable,Which Time's slow ripening alone can make,And man's blind foolishness so quickly mar.
Verses for Children Sea Shell Sea Shell,Sea Shell,Sing me a song,O Please!
A song of ships,and sailor men,And parrots,and tropical trees,Of islands lost in the Spanish Main Which no man ever may find again,Of fishes and corals under the waves,And seahorses stabled in great green caves.
Sea Shell,Sea Shell,Sing of the things you know so well.
Fringed Gentians Near where I live there is a lake As blue as blue can be,winds make It dance as they go blowing by.
I think it curtseys to the sky.
It's just a lake of lovely flowers And my Mamma says they are ours;But they are not like those we grow To be our very own,you know.
We have a splendid garden,there Are lots of flowers everywhere;Roses,and pinks,and four o'clocks And hollyhocks,and evening stocks.
Mamma lets us pick them,but never Must we pick any gentians --ever!
For if we carried them away They'd die of homesickness that day.
The Painted Ceiling My Grandpapa lives in a wonderful house With a great many windows and doors,There are stairs that go up,and stairs that go down,And such beautiful,slippery floors.
But of all of the rooms,even mother's and mine,And the bookroom,and parlour and all,I like the green dining-room so much the best Because of its ceiling and wall.
Right over your head is a funny round hole With apples and pears falling through;There's a big bunch of grapes all purply and sweet,And melons and pineapples too.
They tumble and tumble,but never come down Though I've stood underneath a long while With my mouth open wide,for I always have hoped Just a cherry would drop from the pile.
No matter how early I run there to look It has always begun to fall through;And one night when at bedtime I crept in to see,It was falling by candle-light too.
I am sure they are magical fruits,and each one Makes you hear things,or see things,or go Forever invisible;but it's no use,And of course I shall just never know.
For the ladder's too heavy to lift,and the chairs Are not nearly so tall as I need.
I've given up hope,and I feel I shall die Without having accomplished the deed.
It's a little bit sad,when you seem very near To adventures and things of that sort,Which nearly begin,and then don't;and you know It is only because you are short.
The Crescent Moon Slipping softly through the sky Little horned,happy moon,Can you hear me up so high?
Will you come down soon?
On my nursery window-sill Will you stay your steady flight?
And then float away with me Through the summer night?
Brushing over tops of trees,Playing hide and seek with stars,Peeping up through shiny clouds At Jupiter or Mars.
I shall fill my lap with roses Gathered in the milky way,All to carry home to mother.
Oh!what will she say!
Little rocking,sailing moon,Do you hear me shout --Ahoy!
Just a little nearer,moon,To please a little boy.
Climbing High up in the apple tree climbing I go,With the sky above me,the earth below.
Each branch is the step of a wonderful stair Which leads to the town I see shining up there.
Climbing,climbing,higher and higher,The branches blow and I see a spire,The gleam of a turret,the glint of a dome,All sparkling and bright,like white sea foam.
On and on,from bough to bough,The leaves are thick,but I push my way through;Before,I have always had to stop,But to-day I am sure I shall reach the top.
Today to the end of the marvelous stair,Where those glittering pinacles flash in the air!
Climbing,climbing,higher I go,With the sky close above me,the earth far below.
The Trout Naughty little speckled trout,Can't I coax you to come out?
Is it such great fun to play In the water every day?
Do you pull the Naiads'hair Hiding in the lilies there?
Do you hunt for fishes'eggs,Or watch tadpoles grow their legs?
Do the little trouts have school In some deep sun-glinted pool,And in recess play at tag Round that bed of purple flag?
I have tried so hard to catch you,Hours and hours I've sat to watch you;But you never will come out,Naughty little speckled trout!
Wind He shouts in the sails of the ships at sea,He steals the down from the honeybee,He makes the forest trees rustle and sing,He twirls my kite till it breaks its string.
Laughing,dancing,sunny wind,Whistling,howling,rainy wind,North,South,East and West,Each is the wind I like the best.
He calls up the fog and hides the hills,He whirls the wings of the great windmills,The weathercocks love him and turn to discover His whereabouts --but he's gone,the rover!
Laughing,dancing,sunny wind,Whistling,howling,rainy wind,North,South,East and West,Each is the wind I like the best.
The pine trees toss him their cones with glee,The flowers bend low in courtesy,Each wave flings up a shower of pearls,The flag in front of the school unfurls.
Laughing,dancing,sunny wind,Whistling,howling,rainy wind,North,South,East and West,Each is the wind I like the best.
The Pleiades By day you cannot see the sky For it is up so very high.
You look and look,but it's so blue That you can never see right through.
But when night comes it is quite plain,And all the stars are there again.
They seem just like old friends to me,I've known them all my life you see.
There is the dipper first,and there Is Cassiopeia in her chair,Orion's belt,the Milky Way,And lots I know but cannot say.
One group looks like a swarm of bees,Papa says they're the Pleiades;But I think they must be the toy Of some nice little angel boy.
Perhaps his jackstones which to-day He has forgot to put away,And left them lying on the sky Where he will find them bye and bye.
I wish he'd come and play with me.
We'd have such fun,for it would be A most unusual thing for boys To feel that they had stars for toys!
THE END