Why did you make his glory high And holds the river in his hand BUTTERCUPS BY WILFRID THORLEY There must be fairy miners. They take the shining metals, Sometimes they melt the flowers, For little boys and girls. And still a tiny fan turns QUEEN MAB (From Romeo and Juliet) BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes Made by the joiner squirrel or old grub, THE OLD SHIPS BY JAMES ELROY FLECKER I have seen old ships sail like swans asleep Beyond the village which men still call Tyre, With leaden age o'ercargoed, dipping deep That rings black Cyprus with a lake of fire; Hell-raked them till they rolled Blood, water, fruit, and corpses up the hold. Pointing her shapely shadows from the dawn Thought I who knows-who knows-but that same (Fished up beyond Ææa, patched up new -Stern painted brighter blue-) That talkative, bald-headed seaman came (Twelve patient comrades sweating at the oar) And with great lies about his wooden horse PORTRAIT OF A BOY BY STEPHEN VINCENT BENET After the whipping, he crawled into bed; Fat motes danced. He sobbed; closed his eyes and dreamed. Warm sand flowed round him. Blurts of crimson. light Splashed the white grains like blood. Past the cave's mouth Shone with a large fierce splendor, wildly bright, Here the Cross swung; and there, affronting Mars, The pirates sat and diced. Their eyes were moons. "Doubloons!" they said. The words crashed gold. "Doubloons!" THE FALCONER OF GOD BY WILLIAM ROSE BENÉT I flung my soul to the air like a falcon flying. I shall start a heron soon In the marsh beneath the moon A strange white heron rising with silver on its wings, Rising and crying Wordless, wondrous things; The secret of the stars, of the world's heart-strings The answer to their woC. Then stoop thou upon him, and grip and hold him so!" My wild soul waited on as falcons hover. In the marsh beneath the moon. And then, with feathery thunder, the bird of my desire Broke from the cover Flashing silver fire. High up among the stars I saw his pinions spire. As my falcon stooped upon him, and gript and held him fast. |