The Home Book of Verse Volume Iii Part 80

Dreaming of potential years When no day shall dawn in fears!

That's the Marna of my soul, Wander-bride of mine!

Richard Hovey [1864-1900]

THE SEA GIPSY

I am fevered with the sunset, I am fretful with the bay, For the wander-thirst is on me And my soul is in Cathay.

There's a schooner in the offing, With her topsails shot with fire, And my heart has gone aboard her For the Islands of Desire.

I must forth again to-morrow!

With the sunset I must be Hull down on the trail of rapture In the wonder of the Sea.

Richard Hovey [1864-1900]

A VAGABOND SONG

There is something in the autumn that is native to my blood-- Touch of manner, hint of mood; And my heart is like a rhyme, With the yellow and the purple and the crimson keeping time.

The scarlet of the maples can shake me like a cry Of bugles going by.

And my lonely spirit thrills To see the frosty asters like a smoke upon the hills.

There is something in October sets the gipsy blood astir; We must rise and-follow her, When from every hill of flame She calls and calls each vagabond by name.

Bliss Carman [1861-1929]

SPRING SONG

Make me over, Mother April, When the sap beings to stir!

When thy flowery hand delivers All the mountain-prisoned rivers, And thy great heart beats and quivers To revive the days that were, Make me over, Mother April, When the sap begins to stir!

Take my dust and all my dreaming, Count my heart-beats one by one, Send them where the winters perish; Then some golden noon recherish And restore them in the sun, Flower and scent and dust and dreaming, With their heart-beats every one!

Set me in the urge and tide-drift Of the streaming hosts a-wing!

Breast of scarlet, throat of yellow, Raucous challenge, wooings mellow-- Every migrant is my fellow, Making northward with the spring.

Loose me in the urge and tide-drift Of the streaming hosts a-wing!

Shrilling pipe or fluting whistle, In the valleys come again; Fife of frog and call of tree-toad, All my brothers, five or three-toed, With their revel no more vetoed, Making music in the rain; Shrilling pipe or fluting whistle, In the valleys come again.

Make me of thy seed to-morrow, When the sap begins to stir!

Tawny light-foot, sleepy bruin, Bright-eyes in the orchard ruin, Gnarl the good life goes askew in, Whiskey-jack, or tanager,-- Make me anything to-morrow, When the sap begins to stir!

Make me even (How do I know?) Like my friend the gargoyle there; It may be the heart within him Swells that doltish hands should pin him Fixed forever in mid-air.

Make me even sport for swallows, Like the soaring gargoyle there!

Give me the old clue to follow, Through the labyrinth of night!

Clod of clay with heart of fire, Things that burrow and aspire, With the vanis.h.i.+ng desire, For the peris.h.i.+ng delight,-- Only the old clue to follow, Through the labyrinth of night!

Make me over, Mother April, When the sap begins to stir!

Fas.h.i.+on me from swamp or meadow, Garden plot or ferny shadow, Hyacinth or humble burr!

Make me over, Mother April, When the sap begins to stir!

Let me hear the far, low summons, When the silver winds return; Rills that run and streams that stammer, Goldenwing with his loud hammer, Icy brooks that brawl and clamor, Where the Indian willows burn; Let me hearken to the calling, When the silver winds return,

Till recurring and recurring, Long since wandered and come back, Like a whim of Grieg's or Gounod's, This same self, bird, bud, or Bluenose, Some day I may capture (Who knows?) Just the one last joy I lack, Waking to the far new summons, When the old spring winds come back.

For I have no choice of being, When the sap begins to climb,-- Strong insistence, sweet intrusion, Vasts and verges of illusion,-- So I win, to time's confusion, The one perfect pearl of time, Joy and joy and joy forever, Till the sap forgets to climb!

Make me over in the morning From the rag-bag of the world!

Sc.r.a.ps of dream and duds of daring, Home-brought stuff from far sea-faring, Faded colors once so flaring, Shreds of banners long since furled!

Hues of ash and glints of glory, In the rag-bag of the world!

Let me taste the old immortal Indolence of life once more; Not recalling nor foreseeing, Let the great slow joys of being Well my heart through as of yore!

Let me taste the old immortal Indolence of life once more!

Give me the old drink for rapture, The delirium to drain, All my fellows drank in plenty At the Three Score Inns and Twenty From the mountains to the main!

Give me the old drink for rapture, The delirium to drain!

Only make me over, April, When the sap begins to stir!

Make me man or make me woman, Make me oaf or ape or human, Cup of flower or cone of fir; Make me anything but neuter When the sap begins to stir!

Bliss Carman [1861-1929]

THE MENDICANTS

We are as mendicants who wait Along the roadside in the sun.

Tatters of yesterday and shreds Of morrow clothe us every one.

And some are dotards, who believe And glory in the days of old; While some are dreamers, harping still Upon an unknown age of gold.

Hopeless or witless! Not one heeds, As lavish Time comes down the way And tosses in the suppliant hat One great new-minted gold To-day.

Ungrateful heart and grudging thanks, His beggar's wisdom only sees Housing and bread and beer enough; He knows no other things than these.

O foolish ones, put by your care!

Where wants are many, joys are few; And at the wilding springs of peace, G.o.d keeps an open house for you.