HITHER, Flora, Queen of Flowers! Haste thee from Old Brompton's bowers -- Or (if sweeter that abode) From the King's well-odour'd Road, Where each little nursery bud Breathes the dust and quaffs the mud! Hither come, and gaily twine Brightest herbs and flowers of thine Into wreaths for those who rule us, Those who rule and (some say) fool us -- Flora, sure, will love to please England's Household Deities! First you must then, willy-nilly, Fetch me many an Orange lily -- Orange of the darkest dye Irish G -- ff -- rd can supply! Choose me out the longest sprig, And stick it in old Eld -- n's wig Find me next a Poppy posy, Type of his harangues so dozy, Garland gaudy, dull and cool For the head of L -- v -- rp -- l! 'Twill console his brilliant brows For that loss of laurel boughs, Which they suffer'd (what a pity) On the road to Paris city. Next, our C -- stl -- r -- gh to crown, Bring me, from the county Down, Wither'd Shamrocks, which have been Gilded o'er, to hide the green (Such as H -- df -- t brought away From Pall-Mall last Patrick's Day) -- Stitch the garland through and through With shabby threads @3of every hue@1 -- And as, Goddess! -- entre nous -- His Lordship loves (though best of men) A little @3torture@1, now and then, Crimp the leaves, thou first of Syrens! Crimp them with thy curling-irons. That's enough -- away, away -- Had I leisure, I could say How the @3oldest rose@1 that grows Must be pluck'd to deck Old R -- c -- How the Doctor's brow should smile Crown'd with wreaths of Camomile; But time presses -- to thy taste I leave the rest, so, prithee, haste! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SOTTO VOCE; TO EDWARD THOMAS by WALTER JOHN DE LA MARE EMERSON by MARY ELIZABETH MAPES DODGE THE MALDIVE SHARK by HERMAN MELVILLE ENGLAND AND HER COLONIES [OR, DOMINIONS] by WILLIAM WATSON BEAUTIFUL THINGS by ELLEN P. ALLERTON THE OPTIMIST AND THE PESSIMIST; A DIALOGUE by GEORGE BARLOW (1847-1913) INTIMATIONS OF MORTALITY by EDMUND CHARLES BLUNDEN |