I KNOW a way <br />Of hearing what the larks and linnets say: <br /> The larks tell of the sunshine and the sky; <br /> The linnets from the hedges make reply, <br />And boast of hidden nests with mocking lay. <br /> <br /> I know a way <br />Of keeping near the rabbits at their play: <br /> They tell me of the cool and shady nooks <br /> Where waterfalls disturb the placid brooks <br />That I may go and frolic in the spray. <br /> <br /> I know a way <br />Of catching dewdrops on a night in May, <br /> And threading them upon a spear of green, <br /> That through their sides translucent may be seen <br />The sparkling hue that emeralds display. <br /> <br /> I know a way <br />Of trapping sunbeams as they nimbly play <br /> At hide-and-seek with meadow-grass and flowers, <br /> And holding them in store for dreary hours <br />When winds are chill and all the sky is gray. <br /> <br /> I know a way <br />Of stealing fragrance from the new-mown hay <br /> And storing it in flasks of petals made, <br /> To scent the air when all the flowers fade <br />And leave the woodland world to sad decay. <br /> <br /> I know a way <br />Of coaxing snowflakes in their flight to stay <br /> So still awhile, that, as they hang in air, <br /> I weave them into frosty lace, to wear <br />About my head upon a sultry day.<br /><br />Charles Edward Carryl<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-song-in-the-dell/
