All day thy wings have fanned, At that far height, the cold, thin atmosphere, Yet stoop not, weary, to the welcome land, And soon that toil shall end; Soon shalt thou find a summer home, and rest, And scream among thy fellows; reeds shall bend, Soon, o'er thy sheltered nest. Thou'rt gone, the abyss of heaven Hath swallowed up thy form; yet, on my heart He who, from zone to zone, Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight, In the long way that I must tread alone, Will lead my steps aright. GREEN RIVER. WHEN breezes are soft and skies are fair, And hie me away to the woodland scene, pure Yet its waters-its shallows are bright And clear the depths where its eddies play, And the plane-tree's speckled arms o'ershoot With a sudden flash on the eye is thrown, Like the ray that streams from the diamond stone. Oh, loveliest there the spring days come, With blossoms, and birds, and wild bees' hum; The flowers of summer are fairest there, In silence and sunshine glides away. Yet fair as thou art, thou shunnest to glide, And forest, and meadow, and slope of hill, That fairy music I never hear, Nor gaze on those waters so green and clear, heart; And I envy thy stream, as it glides along, Through its beautiful banks in a trance of song. ion Though forced to drudge for the dregs of men, And scrawl strange words with the barbarous pen, And mingle among the jostling crowd, Where the sons of strife are subtle and loud I often come to this quiet place, To breathe the airs that ruffle thy face, And gaze upon thee in silent dream, For in thy lonely and lovely stream An image of that calm life appears A WINTER PIECE. THE time has been that these wild solitudes, Oftener than now; and when the ills of life Was to me as a friend. The swelling hills, With gentle invitation to explore Their windings, were a calm society That talked with me and soothed me. Then the chant Of birds, and chime of brooks, and soft caress Of the fresh sylvan air, made me forget The thoughts that broke my peace, and I began Never rebuked me for the hours I stole |