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Garden Days
I. Night and Day
When the golden day is done,
Through the
closing portal,
Child and garden, Flower and sun,
Vanish all
things mortal.
As the blinding shadows fall
As the rays
diminish,
Under evening's cloak they all
Roll away and
vanish.
Garden darkened, daisy shut,
Child in bed,
they slumber--
Glow-worm in the hallway rut,
Mice among the
lumber.
In the darkness houses shine,
Parents move the
candles;
Till on all the night divine
Turns the
bedroom handles.
Till at last the day begins
In the east
a-breaking,
In the hedges and the whins
Sleeping birds
a-waking.
In the darkness shapes of things,
Houses, trees
and hedges,
Clearer grow; and sparrow's wings
Beat on window
ledges.
These shall wake the yawning maid;
She the door
shall open--
Finding dew on garden glade
And the morning
broken.
There my garden grows again
Green and rosy
painted,
As at eve behind the pane
From my eyes it
fainted.
Just as it was shut away,
Toy-like, in the
even,
Here I see it glow with day
Under glowing
heaven.
Every path and every plot,
Every blush of
roses,
Every blue forget-me-not
Where the dew
reposes,
"Up!" they cry, "the day is come
On the smiling
valleys:
We have beat the morning drum;
Playmate, join
your allies!"
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