Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE DANCING FERN, by MARIAN STORM


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE DANCING FERN, by                    
First Line: At the time of the partridge berry harvest
Last Line: Or a very scared rabbit, hiding in the corn.
Subject(s): Ferns


At the time of the partridge berry harvest,
In a wood of many-colored boughs,
While through the afternoon the silver milkweed floated
And bells were silent on the lazy cows,
I was going along the wood-road over the beech leaves,
And squirrels had been before me at every turn
Taking all the chestnuts out of their velvet cases,
When I came upon the Dancing Fern.

Now, I never saw a fern like this one,
Trying her poses there alone,
Throwing back her head in ecstasy and laughing,
Curtsying to a chipmunk, dipping to a stone;
Bending far back and flinging out her tresses,
Drooping forward pensive, quivering again,
As all the while her fragile fronded shadow
Kept the wild step lightly, flickering; and then
Though falling acorns clicked like castanets, for a breeze came,
The Dancing Fern saw me -- did her tree-toad harper warn?
And there she stood, as motionless as water in a cistern
Or a very scared rabbit, hiding in the corn.





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