Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE GREAT ADVENTURE, by PATRICK REGINALD CHALMERS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE GREAT ADVENTURE, by                    
First Line: We saw the arc of the rainbow stand up o'er the garden wall
Last Line: Back to the things that pay!
Subject(s): Rainbows


WE saw the arc of the rainbow stand up o'er the garden wall,
We scaled that perilous rampart to spy where its foot might be,
We saw its trailing triumph, we marked its flashing fall,
Over the hay-field, down by the river, under the pollard-tree;
We saw the fall of the rainbow,
We guessed where the gold would be,
Under the pollard, pollard, pollard,
Under the pollard-tree!

We slipped through the garden wicket, we sped through the hay-cocks proud,
Where, gemmed in the slanting sunset, each winking raindrop shone,
But we saw ere we gained the river, afloat on a purple cloud,
The magical arch of fairy glory over the valley gone!
We saw the arc of the rainbow
As the slant of the sunset shone,
Over the valley, valley, valley,
Over the valley gone!

Then up and spake our caption, "A fig for such fairy gold,
Come follow me back, my hearties, to the things of every day;
For, touch but a magic treasure, 'twill crumble to ashes cold,
So follow me back through the darkling hay-cocks, back to the things that pay!"
We turned form the truant rainbow,
And went in the fading day,
Back through the hay-cocks, hay-cocks, hay-cocks,
Back to the things that pay!





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