IN the bright shallow of this broadened dyke, Whose willow-wood, late chopt, gives now Not one sweet shading bough, See in the sun the two young mating pike With golden strakes and dapplings fine In mutual love themselves align; Where he and she together bask and dream, There is no time but that, no other theme. The flooded river hurled and flurried hoarse With lashing branches and brown scum, And yet the time was come. These following love up a still lonely course Reached their imagined bower, nor knew The dwindled river far withdrew. And now in unsuspicious love they lie In the bright prison where they soon must die. The mild wood-pigeon looked, and look she might For last year's willow-wood: 'twas gone! She rose and floated on To one near by; and there in April light, Her thin twigs set, sat warming two Sweet eggs, that shone like roses through. Man came, she startled; he but looked and learned, But to her frost-cold eggs she ne'er returned. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A BANJO SONG by JAMES WELDON JOHNSON APRIL, FR. LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE THE BEAUTIFUL LAND OF NOD by ELLA WHEELER WILCOX TWELVE SONNETS: 3. THE VALLEY ROSES by GEORGE BARLOW (1847-1913) SLUMBER FAIRIES by KATHARINE LEE BATES |