Ere wild haws, looming in the glooms, Build bolted drifts of breezy blooms; And in the whistling hollow there The red-bud bends as brown and bare As buxom Roxy's up-stripped arm; From some slick hickory or larch, Sighed o'er the sodden meads of March, The sad heart thrills and reddens warm To hear thee braving the rough storm, Frail courier of green-gathering powers,-- Rebelling sap in trunks and flowers; Love's minister come heralding; O sweet saint-voice among bleak bowers!-- Thou brown-red pursuivant of Spring!
"_Moan_" sob the woodland cascades still Down bloomless ledges of the hill; And gray, gaunt clouds like harpies hang In harpy heavens, and swoop and clang Sharp beaks and talons of the wind: Black scowl the forests, and unkind The far fields as the near; while song Seems murdered and all passion, wrong. One wild frog only in the thaw Of spawny pools wakes cold and raw, Expires a melancholy bass And stops as if bewildered; then Along the frowning wood again, Flung in the thin wind's fangy face, Thou, in red, woolly tassels proud Of bannered maples, flutest loud: "_Her Grace! her Grace! her Grace!_"
"Her Grace! her Grace! her Grace!" Climbs beautiful and sunny-browed Up, up the kindling hills and wakes Blue berries in the berry brakes; With fragrant flakes, that blow and bleach, Deep powders smothered quince and peach; Eyes dogwoods with a thousand eyes; Teaches each sod how to be wise With twenty wild-flowers for one weed; And kisses germs that they may seed. In purest purple and sweet white Treads up the happier hills of light; Bloom, cloudy-borne, song in her hair, Long dew-drops her pale fingers fair: Big wind-retainers, and the rains Her yeomen strong that flash the plains; While scarlet mists at dawn,--and gold At eve,--her panoply enfold.-- Her herald tabarded behold!-- Awake to greet! prepare to sing! She comes, the darling Duchess, Spring!"
Sleep while I sing to thee, Dulcinea,-- How like a shower of moonlight-crusted beams Of textile form compact, whose veins run stars,-- Discovered goddess of what naked loves!-- Maiden of dreams and aromatic sleep, Thou liest. Thy long instrument against Thy god-voluptuous sensuousness of hip Pure iridescent pearl of ocean slopes: Tempestuous silent color-melodies Pulse glimmering from it beaten by the moon,-- Soft songs the white hands of white shadows touch.-- Magnetic star set slumberous over night, Watch with me this superior star of Earth Good Heaven was kind to grant me: Trembler, Like some soft bird, dream, while I sing to thee-- Dream, languid ardor, my Dulcinea, dream.