Classic Poem

Red lay the rustling leaves along the lane,
Ripe chestnuts smote the grass with sullen blows,
From russet oaks rained dropping, fruity cups,
And scarlet berries hung in every brake.
The sun had scarcely risen from earth's rim,
And all the western sky was purple dark,
When, gleaming through the level bars of cloud,
I spied a Lady floating on the air,
In robes of colour flecked with orient pearl.
Most fair, most pure, most wondrous bright was she:
Her hair, like ripening wheat-ears fell adown
Her Virgin-face. Her large eyes, softly fixed,
Showed neither blue, nor brown, so veiled their lids,
So thick their shady fringe of darkened gold.
Her mantle floated like a deeper sky;
Her small hands-bore a staff of milk-white wool,
And spun it softly waving to and fro;
Till falling, falling, ever falling down,
The meshy web did cover all the earth,
And weft o'er field and hedgerow, wold and lawn:
Meseemed it bound the world in one wide net
Of love, and silken bond of brotherhood.
The while I gazed, rapt, wondering at this sight,
I saw the heavenly Weaver knit full fast
Her myriad threads with waving, flitting hands,
And knot each mesh, and twine the glistering threads
From every circle in concentric rings,
Till every part she shaped in perfect growth,
And spread the mazy pattern o'er the world.
And while she laboured, like a rhythmic chime
Of far-off bells, came through the air this song:

" Twine the spotless thread
From milk-white staff and hand;
Ne'er shall earth-stained web
Be spun from stainless strand.

" Bathe the twisted thread
Within the crystal sea;
Thence, the woven web
Shall clean and spotless be.

" Weave the air-borne thread,
Mother and Maid in one:
Thus thy fragile web
Shall bind us to God's throne."

As ceased the song, I faintly, faintlier heard,
As if updrawn, an " Alleluia" clear,
In voice so sweet that all my sense was drowned.
But, when the silence fell, I looked again;
Then saw the Lady beg, with upraised hands,
A gift of dew from airy mist and cloud,
Earth-born, and stored from earth's own radiate heat,
To scatter grateful moisture on its breast.
This kindly shower she poured upon her web,
Then smiled to see it changed to woven pearl;
And, as she smiled, the iridescent light
Burst forth with dazzling gleam, and smote the woof,
And every pearl became a rainbow gem.

Then many voices " Alleluia" sang,
Far off and farther through the fields of air,
To him who rides the clouds and stormy winds,
And casts his ice in morsels; giveth snow,
Or hail, to smite; and then, lets drop the dew
In gentle showers of pitying love; and while
He decks the spring and summer with rich joy,
Spreads tender beauty round the dying year,
And failing strength, and loss, and sharpest grief,
And counts each falling hair of wintry life.