Classic Poem

The infant april joins the spring
& views its watery skye
As youngling linnet trys its wing
& fears at first to flye
With timid step she ventures on
& hardly dares to smile
The blossoms open one by one
& sunny hours beguile

But finer days approacheth yet
With scenes more sweet to charm
& suns arive that rise & set
Bright strangers to a storm
& as the birds with louder song
Each mornings glory cheers
With bolder step she speeds along
& looses all her fears

In wanton gambols like a child
She tends her early toils
& seeks the buds along the wild
That blossom while she smiles
& laughing on with nought to chide
She races with the hours
Or sports by natures lovley side
& fills her lap with flowers

Tho at her birth north cutting gales
Her beautys oft disguise
& hopfull blossoms turning pales
Upon her bosom dies
Yet ere she seeks another place
& ends her reign in this
She leaves us with as fair a face
As ere gave birth to bliss

& fairey month of waking mirth
From whom our joys ensue
Thou early gladder of the earth
Thrice welcom here anew
With thee the bud unfolds to leaves
The grass greens on the lea
& flowers their tender boon recieves
To bloom & smile with thee

The shepherds on thy pasture walks
The first fair cows lip finds
Whose tufted flowers on slender stalks
Keep nodding to the winds
& tho thy thorns withold the may
Their shades the violets bring
Which children stoop for in their play
As tokens of the spring

The time when daiseys bloom divine
With thy calm hours begun
& crowflowers blazing blooms are thine
Bright children of the sun
Along thy woodlands shaded nooks
The primrose wanly comes
& shining in thy pebley brooks
The horse bleb gaily blooms

The long lost charm of sparkling dew
Thy gentle birth receives
& on thy wreathing locks we view
The first infolding leaves
& seeking firstling buds & flowers
The trials of thy skill
Were pastimes of my infant hours
& so they haunt me still

To see thy first broad arum leaves
I lovd them from a child
& were thy woodbines sprouting weaves
I joyd to trace the wild
& jocund as thy lambs at play
I met the wanton wind
With feelings that have passed away
Whose shadows cling behind

Those joys which childhood claims its own
Woud they were kin to men
Those treasures to the world unknown
When known — was witherd then
But hovering round our growing years
To gild cares sable shroud
Their spirit thro the gloom appears
As suns behind a cloud

As thou first met my infant eyes
When thro thy fields I flew
Whose distance were they meet the skyes
Was all the worlds I knew
That warmth of fancys wildest hours
Which made things kin to life
That heard a voice in trees & flowers
Has swoond in reasons strife

Sweet month thy pleasures bids thee be
The fairest child of spring
& every hour that comes to thee
Comes some new joy to bring
The trees still deepen in their bloom
Grass greens the meadow lands
& flowers with every morning come
As dropt by fairey hands

The field & gardens lovely hours
Begin & end with thee
For whats so sweet as peeping flowers
& bursting buds to see
What time the dews unsullied drops
In burnish gold distills
On crocus flowers unclosing tops
& drooping daffodils

Each day with added glorys come
& as they leave the night
Put on the roseys lovley bloom
& blushes with delight
& suns that wait their welcome birth
With earlier haste pursue
Their journeys to this lower earth
To free their steps from dew

To see thee come all hearts rejoice
& warms with feelings strong
With thee all nature finds a voice
& hums a waking song
The lover views thy welcome hours
& thinks of summer come
& takes the maid thy early flowers
To tempt her steps from home

Along each hedge & sprouting bush
The singing birds are blest
& linnet green & speckld thrush
Prepare their mossy nest
On the warm bed thy plain supplys
The young lambs find repose
& mid thy green hills basking lies
Like spots of lingering snows

Young things of tender life again
Enjoys thy sunny hours
& gosslings waddle oer the plain
As yellow as its flowers
Or swim the pond in wild delight
To catch the water flye
Were hissing geese in ceasless spite
Make children scamper bye

Again the fairey tribes pursue
Their pleasures on the plain
& brightend with the morning dew
Black circles shine again
& on its superstitious ground
Were flowers seem loath to dwell
The toadstools fuzzy balls abou[n]d
& mushrooms yearly swell

The seasons beautys all are thine
That visit with the year
Beautys that poets think divine
& all delight to hear
Thy latter days a pleasure brings
That gladden every heart
Pleasures that come like lovely things
But like to shades depart

Thy opend leaves & ripend buds
The cuckoo makes his choice
& shepherds in thy greening woods
First hears the cheering voice
& to thy ripend blooming bowers
The nightingale belongs
& singing to thy parting hours
Keeps night awake with songs

With thee the swallow dares to come
& prunes his sutty wings
& urgd to seek their yearly home
Thy suns the Martin brings
& lovely month be leisure mine
Thy yearly mate to be
Tho may day scenes may brighter shine
Their birth belongs to thee

I waked me with thy rising sun
& thy first glorys viewd
& as thy welcome hours begun
Their sunny steps pursued
& now thy sun is on the set
Like to a lovely eve
I view thy parting with regret
& linger loath to leave

Thou lovley april fare thee well
Thou early child of spring
Tho born were storms too often dwell
Thy parents news to bring
Yet what thy parting youth supplys
No other months excell
Thou first for flowers & sunny skyes
Sweet april fare thee well