THE
SILVER THAW
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THERE
came a day of showers
Upon the shrinking
snow;
The south wind sighed of flowers,
The softening skies
hung low.
Midwinter for a space |
5 |
Foreshadowing
April's face,
The white world caught the fancy,
And would not let
it go.
In
reawakened courses
The brooks rejoiced
the land;
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10 |
We dreamed
the Spring's shy forces
Were gathering close
at hand.
The dripping buds were stirred,
As if the sap had heard
The long-desired persuasion |
15 |
Of April's soft
command.
But
antic Time had cheated
With hope's elusive
gleam;
The phantom Spring, defeated,
Fled down the ways
of dream.
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20 |
And
in the night the reign
Of winter came again,
With frost upon the forest
And stillness on
the stream.
When
morn in rose and crocus
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25 |
Came
up the bitter sky,
Celestial beams awoke us
To wondering ecstasy.
The wizard Winter's spell
Had wrought so passing well, |
30 |
That
earth was bathed in glory,
As if God's smile
were nigh.
The
silvered saplings, bending,
Flashed in a rain
of gems;
The statelier trees, attending,
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35 |
Blazed
in their diadems.
White fire and amethyst
All common things had kissed,
And chrysolites and sapphires
Adorned the bramble-stems. |
40 |
In crystalline confusion
All beauty came to
birth;
It was a kind illusion
To comfort waiting
earth—
To bid the buds forget |
45 |
The
Spring so distant yet,
And hearts no more remember
The iron season's
dearth. |
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