In a still room at hush of dawn, <br />My Love and I lay side by side <br />And heard the roaming forest wind <br />Stir in the paling autumn-tide. <br /> <br />I watched her earth-brown eyes grow glad <br />Because the round day was so fair; <br />While memories of reluctant night <br />Lurked in the blue dusk of her hair. <br />Outside, a yellow maple tree, <br />Shifting upon the silvery blue <br />With tiny multitudinou <br />s sound, <br />Rustled to let the sunlight through. <br /> <br />The livelong day the elvish leaves <br />Danced with their shadows on the floor; <br />And the lost children of the wind <br />Went straying homeward by our door. <br /> <br />And all the swarthy afternoon <br />We watched the great deliberate sun <br />Walk through the crimsoned hazy world, <br />Counting his hilltops one by one. <br /> <br />Then as the purple twilight came <br />And touched the vines along our eaves, <br />Another Shadow stood without <br />And gloomed the dancing of the leaves. <br /> <br />The silence fell on my Love's lips; <br />Her great brown eyes were veiled and sad <br />With pondering some maze of dream, <br />Through all the splendid year was glad. <br /> <br />Restless and vague as a gray wind <br />Her heart had grown, she knew not why. <br />But hurrying to the open door, <br />Against the verge of western sky <br /> <br />I saw retreating on the hills, <br />Looming and sinister and black, <br />The stealthy figure swift and huge <br />Of One who strode and looked not back.<br /><br />Bliss William Carman<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-eavesdropper-2/
