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Classic and Contemporary Poetry


THE WAR IN THE GORSE by WILSON PUGSLEY MACDONALD

First Line: THE WARM, YELLOW GORSE IS A CHILD OF THE NOON
Last Line: AND THERE'S PEACE ON THE HILL UNTIL SPRING.
Subject(s): PLANTS; PLANTING; PLANTERS;

At a certain time of the year a popping as of miniature artillery can be heard in the gorse. The
yellow of one variety of broom is tipped with red. The broom and the gorse are the same.

THE warm, yellow gorse is a child of the noon
When the lava of sunlight is gold.
But the white broom is born in the reign of the moon
When the lava of beauty is cold.

And the white gorse at dusk goes to war with the gold:
By the sun and the moon are they led --
And the white is the victor, for, lo! we behold
The wounds where the yellow gorse bled.

The lava of moonlight goes back to its queen,
The lava of gold to its king;
And the broom takes again its old banner of green,
And there's peace on the hill until spring.



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