Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, GRATITUDE, by NORMAN ROWLAND GALE


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

GRATITUDE, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Take hold, my bird, of the cherry bough
Last Line: For this beautiful ballad's sake!
Subject(s): Birds; Gratitude


TAKE hold, my bird, of the cherry bough
And lift thy throat to the sun,
For the rainbow month is with us now,
And thy building has begun.
Sing in the cherry the darling breast
Of the mate shall warm thy chicks
When the moonlight kisses and cuddles the nest
In the thorn by the two tall ricks.

I love to hear thee carry the song
Three octaves up at a time,
For it helps my wearying heart along
Better than reason or rhyme.
Firm be thy faith that a sweeter wife
In a bush has never sat,
With her ears alert for the chirrup of life,
And her eyes for the farmyard cat.

Of maids I wish thee only a pair
In sky-blue cabinets furled,
But of sons be thine a handsomer share,
To mellow with song the world!
And what if the active family beak
Both cherry and strawberry take?
No miserly word will I ever speak,
For this beautiful ballad's sake!





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net