Читать книгу Blooms of the Berry - Cawein Madison Julius - Страница 16

The juice-big apples' sullen gold,

Like lazy Sultans laughed and lolled

'Mid heavy mats of leaves that lay

Green-flatten'd 'gainst the glaring day;

And here a pear of rusty brown,

And peaches on whose brows the down

Waxed furry as the ears of Pan,

And, like Diana's cheeks, whose tan

Burnt tender secresies of fire,

Or wan as Psyche's with desire

Of lips that love to kiss or taste

Voluptuous ripeness there sweet placed.

And down the orchard vistas he, —

Barefooted, trousers out at knee,

Face shadowing from the sloping sun

A hat of straw, brim-sagging broad, —

Came, lowly whistling some vague tune,

Upon the sunbeam-sprinkled road.

Lank in his hand a twig with which

In boyish thoughtlessness he crushed

Rare pennyroyal myriads rich

In pungent souls that warmly gushed.

Before him whirled in rattling fear

The saffron-bellied grasshopper;

And ringing from the musky dells

Came faint the cows' melodious bells,

Where whimp'ring like a fretful hound

The fountain bubbled up in sound.

Yellow as sunset skies and pale

As fairy clouds that stay or sail

Thro' azure vaults of summer, blue

As summer heavens the violets grew;

And mosses on which spurts of light

Fell laughing, like the lips one might

Feign for a Hebe or a girl

Whose mouth heat-lightens up with pearl;

Limp ferns in murmuring shadows shrunk

And silent as if stunned or drunk

With moist aromas of the wood;

Dry rustlings of the quietude;

On silver fronds' thin tresses new

Cold limpid blisters of the dew.

Across the rambling fence she leaned:

A gingham gown to ankles bare;

Her artless beauty, bonnet-screened,

Tempestuous with its stormy hair.

A rain-crow gurgled in a vine, —

She heard it not – a step she hears;

The wild rose smelt like delicate wine, —

She knew it not – 'tis he that nears.

With smiles of greeting all her face

Grew musical; with rustic grace

He leant beside her, and they had

Some parley, with light laughter glad;

I know not what; I know but this,

Its final period was a kiss.