Bluebird
A wistful note from out the sky,
'Pure, pure, pure,' in plaintive tone,
As if the wand'rer were alone,
And hardly knew to sing or cry.
But now a flash of eager wing,
Flitting, twinkling by the wall,
And pleadings sweet and am'rous call,-
Ah, now I know his heart doth sing!
O bluebird, welcome back again,
Thy azure coat and ruddy vest
Are hues that April loveth best,-
Warm skies above the furrowed plain.
The farm boy hears thy tender voice,
And visions come of crystal days,
With sugar-camps in maple ways,
And scenes that make his heart rejoice.
The lucid smoke drifts on the breeze,
The steaming pans are mantling white,
And thy blue wing's a joyous sight,
Among the brown and leafless trees.
Now loosened currents glance and run,
And buckets shine on sturdy boles,
The forest folk peep from their holes,
And work is play from sun to sun.
The downy beats his sounding limb,
The nuthatch pipes his nasal call,
And Robin perched on tree-top tall
Heavenward lifts his evening hymn.
Now go and bring thy homesick bride,
Persuade her here is just the place
To build a home and found a race
In Downy's cell, my lodge beside.
poem by John Burroughs
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Related quotes
The Coming of Phoebe
When buckets shine 'gainst maple trees
And dropp by dropp the sap doth flow,
When days are warm, but still nights freeze,
And deep in woods lie drifts of snow,
When cattle low and fret in stall,
Then morning brings the phoebe's call,
'phoebe,
phoebe, phoebe,' a cheery note,
While cackling hens make such a rout.
When snowbanks run, and hills are bare,
And early bees hum round the hive,
When woodchucks creep from out their lair
Right glad to find themselves alive,
When sheep go nibbling through the fields,
Then phoebe oft her name reveals,
'phoebe,
phoebe, phoebe,' a plaintive cry,
While jack-snipes call in morning sky.
When wild ducks quack in creek and pond
And bluebirds perch on mullein-stalks,
When spring has burst her icy bond
And in brown fields the sleek crow walks,
When chipmunks court in roadside walls,
Then phoebe from the ridgeboard calls,
'phoebe,
phoebe, phoebe,' and lifts her cap,
While smoking Dick doth boil the sap.
poem by John Burroughs
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There Was a Cherry-Tree
There was a cherry-tree. Its bloomy snows
Cool even now the fevered sight that knows
No more its airy visions of pure joy --
As when you were a boy.
There was a cherry-tree. The Bluejay sat
His blue against its white -- O blue as jet
He seemed there then!-- But now -- Whoever knew
He was so pale a blue!
There was a cherry-tree -- our child-eyes saw
The miracle:-- Its pure white snows did thaw
Into a crimson fruitage, far too sweet
But for a boy to eat.
There was a cherry-tree, give thanks and joy!--
There was a bloom of snow -- There was a boy --
There was a bluejay of the realest blue --
And fruit for both of you.
poem by James Whitcomb Riley
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In The Oak
THE leaves and tassels of the oak
Were golden-green with May,
Pavilion whence forever broke
Some angel roundelay.
A carol like a glory came
From topmost twig astir,
Enkindled by a flying flame,
The scarlet tanager.
The tree was glad as Paradise
When, eager soul on soul,
The saints flock home. There glistened twice
A wild-throat oriole;
And once the grosbeak's rosy breast
Poured its enchanted hymn;
While sunny wing and jewel crest
Lit many a blissful limb.
The whole wide world was in my oak
Whose catkins danced for mirth,
— Plumes gray as curling city smoke,
Plumes brown as fresh-plowed earth;
Even heaven had graced our festival,
For oft the loving eye
Would find, coaxed by a wistful call,
The bluebird's fleck of sky.
poem by Katharine Lee Bates
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On The Silence Of A Young Lady
ON ACCOUNT OF THE IMAGINARY FLIGHT OF HER SUITOR.
Oh, heartless dove! mount in the skies,
Spread thy soft wing upon the gale,
Or on thy sacred pinions rise,
Nor brood with silence in the vale.
Breathe on the air thy plaintive note,
Which oft has filled the lonesome grove,
And Iet thy melting ditty float--
The dirge of long lamented love.
Coo softly to the silent ear,
And make the floods of grief to roll;
And cause by love the sleeping tear,
To wake with sorrow from the soul
Is it the loss of pleasures past
Which makes thee droop thy sounding wing?
Does winter's rough, inclement blast
Forbid thy tragic voice to sing?
Is it because the Fragrant breeze
Along the sky forbears to flow--
Nor whispers low amidst the trees,
Whilst all the vallies frown below?
Why should a frown thy soul alarm,
And tear thy pleasures from thy breast?
Or veil the smiles of every charm,
And rob thee of thy peaceful rest.
Perhaps thy sleeping love may wake,
And hear thy penitential tone;
And suffer not thy heart to break,
Nor let a princess grieve alone.
Perhaps his pity may return,
With equal feeling from the heart,
And breast with breast together burn,
Never--no, never more to part.
Never, till death's resistless blow,
Whose call the dearest must obey--
In twain together then may go,
And thus together dwell for aye.
Say to the suitor, Come away,
Nor break the knot which love has tied--
Nor to the world thy trust betray,
And fly forever from thy bride.
poem by George Moses Horton
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The Downy Woodpecker
Downy came and dwelt with me,
Taught me hermit lore;
Drilled his cell in oaken tree
Near my cabin door.
Architect of his own home
In the forest dim,
Carving its inverted dome
In a dozy limb.
Carved it deep and shaped it true
With his little bill;
Took no thought about the view,
Whether dale or hill.
Shook the chips upon the ground,
Careless who might see.
Hark! his hatchet's muffled sound
Hewing in the tree.
Round his door as compass-mark,
True and smooth his wall;
Just a shadow on the bark
Points you to his hall.
Downy leads a hermit life
All the winter through;
Free his days from jar and strife,
And his cares are few.
Waking up the frozen woods,
Shaking down the snows;
Many trees of many moods
Echo to his blows.
When the storms of winter rage,
Be it night or day,
Then I know my little page
Sleeps the time away.
Downy's stores are in the trees,
Egg and ant and grub;
Juicy tidbits, rich as cheese,
Hid in stump and stub.
Rat-tat-tat his chisel goes,
Cutting out his prey;
Every boring insect knows
When he comes its way.
Always rapping at their doors,
Never welcome he;
All his kind, they vote, are bores,
Whom they dread to see.
Why does Downy live alone
In his snug retreat?
Has he found that near the bone
Is the sweetest meat?
Birdie craved another fate
When the spring had come;
Advertised him for a mate
On his dry-limb drum.
Drummed her up and drew her near,
In the April morn,
Till she owned him for her dear
In his state forlorn.
Now he shirks all family cares,
This I must confess;
Quite absorbed in self affairs
In the season's stress.
We are neighbors well agreed
Of a common lot;
Peace and love our only creed
In this charmèd spot.
poem by John Burroughs
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Homesick
(Buddy Bue, J.R. Cobb)
Guitars ring in the dead of night, sing so blue, sound so right
It makes you homesick
Listen close to the guitar man, narive sone of a foreign land
The boy's homesick
He's homesick, for days bygone
Homesick, for home sweet home
Where were you in '69, smokin' dope, drinkin' wine
Just an outlaw
Distant drums beats an old refrain, shakes your feet, pounds your brain
Like a buzzsaw
In the darkness down the hall, black-light posters on the wall
Jimi Hendrix
Someone's lost in yesterday, hazy dreams of Monterey
And Woodstock, all right
Repeat Chorus
Guitars ring in the dead of night, sing so blue, sound so right
It makes you homesick
Listen close to the guitar man, narive sone of a foreign land
The boy's homesick
He's homesick, for days bygone
Homesick, Lord, for home sweet home The boy's homesick
song performed by by Travis Tritt
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Sparrow's Fall
Too frail to soar -- a feeble thing --
It fell to earth with fluttering wing;
But God, who watches over all,
Beheld that little sparrow's fall.
'Twas not a bird with plumage gay,
Filling the air with its morning lay;
'Twas not an eagle bold and strong,
Borne on the tempest's wing along.
Only a brown and weesome thing,
With drooping head and listless wing;
It could not drift beyond His sight
Who marshals the splendid stars of night.
Its dying chirp fell on His ears,
Who tunes the music of the spheres,
Who hears the hungry lion's call,
And spreads a table for us all.
Its mission of song at last is done,
No more will it greet the rising sun;
That tiny bird has found a rest
More calm than its mother's downy breast
Oh, restless heart, learn thou to trust
In God, so tender, strong and just;
In whose love and mercy everywhere
His humblest children have a share.
If in love He numbers ev'ry hair,
Whether the strands be dark or fair,
Shall we not learn to calmly rest,
Like children, on our Father's breast?
poem by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
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With All My Heart, God, Let Me… (A Song)
With all my heart, God, let me praise you;
With all my heart, God, let me thank you;
With all my heart, God, let me serve you;
With all my heart, God, let me love you.
With all my heart, God, let me seek you;
With all my heart, God, let me trust you;
With all my heart, God, let me call you;
With all my heart, God, let me reach you.
With all my heart, God, let me rejoice;
With all my heart, God, let me obey;
With all my heart, God, let me repent;
With all my heart, God, let me be glad.
With all my heart, God, let me be pure;
With all my heart, God, let me await;
With all my heart, God, let me sing songs;
With all my heart, God, let me not sin.
With all my heart, let me abide in Him;
With all my heart, let me be righteous;
With all my heart, let me not go astray;
With all my heart, let me keep your Words.
God knows all secrets of the human heart;
He forms all hearts and considers all that they do;
The Lord moves hearts of Kings to make decrees;
Only fools say in hearts, ‘There is no God! '
poem by John Celes
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Swing
The one desire is to dance the swing
Could catch it all night long
And when Im riding on that wing
And just for you Im in the swing
And when Im riding on that wing
My heart does start to sing
Fu:r dich allein tanz ich den swing [ u: is a deutsche y ]
Ich hoff du bleibst noch hier
Vielleicht geh ich nach zu dir hin
Und dann tanzst du mit mir
And when Im dancing
Ive got to give it all
Cause its the only thing
And when Im waiting
Until last call
I do it for the swing
And when Im riding on that wing
My heart does start to sing
And when Im riding on that wing
My heart does start to sing
song performed by by Yello
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Swing
The one desire is to dance the swing
Could catch it all night long
And when Im riding on that wing
And just for you Im in the swing
And when Im riding on that wing
My heart does start to sing
Fu:r dich allein tanz ich den swing [ u: is a deutsche y ]
Ich hoff du bleibst noch hier
Vielleicht geh ich nach zu dir hin
Und dann tanzst du mit mir
And when Im dancing
Ive got to give it all
Cause its the only thing
And when Im waiting
Until last call
I do it for the swing
And when Im riding on that wing
My heart does start to sing
And when Im riding on that wing
My heart does start to sing
song performed by by Yello
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Portrait
I watch you, gazing at me from the wall,
And wonder how you'd match your dreams with mine,
If, mastering time's illusion, I could call
You back to share this quiet candle-shine.
For you were young, three hundred years ago;
And by your looks I guess that you were wise…
Come, whisper soft, and Death will never know
You've slipped away from those calm, painted eyes.
Strange is your voice… Poor ninny, dead so long,
And all your pride forgotten like your name.
'One April morn I heard a blackbird's song.
And joy was in my heart like leaves aflame.'
And so you died before your songs took wing;
While Andrew Marvell followed in your wake.
'Love thrilled me into music. I could sing
But for a moment, — but for beauty's sake.'
Who passes? There's a star-lit breeze that stirs
The glimmer of white lilies in the gloom.
Who speaks? Death has his silent messengers.
And there was more than silence in this room
While you were gazing at me from the wall
And wondering how you'd match your dreams with mine,
If, mastering time's illusion, you could call
Me back to share your vanished candle-shine.
poem by Siegfried Sassoon
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Skylark
She flies through cobalt colored skies
Filtered with sunlit colored rays
When she soars
Hearts also soar
Free spirit on the wing
With a song so sweet to sing
In a forested evening shade
With odors of fall and her song in the glade
Softly the forest children appear
To see skylark not on the wing
But yet with a beautiful song
So sweet to sing.
Sweet Wild April
O sweet wild April
Came over the hills,
He skipped with the winds
And he tripped with the rills;
His raiment was all
Of the daffodils.
Sing hi,
Sing hey,
Sing ho!
O sweet wild April
Came down the lea,
Dancing along
With his sisters three:
Carnation, and Rose,
And tall Lily.
Sing hi,
Sing hey,
Sing ho!
O sweet wild April,
On pastoral quill
Came piping in moonlight
By hollow and hill,
In starlight at midnight,
By dingle and rill.
Sing hi,
Sing hey,
Sing ho!
Where sweet wild April
His melody played,
Trooped cowslip, and primrose,
And iris, the maid,
And silver narcissus,
A star in the shade.
Sing hi,
Sing hey,
Sing ho!
When sweet wild April
Dipped down the dale,
Pale cuckoopint brightened,
And windflower trail,
And white-thorn, the wood-bride,
In virginal veil.
Sing hi,
Sing hey,
Sing ho!
When sweet wild April
Through deep woods pressed,
Sang cuckoo above him,
And lark on his crest,
And Philomel fluttered
Close under his breast.
Sing hi,
Sing hey,
Sing ho!
O sweet wild April,
Wherever you went
The bondage of winter
Was broken and rent,
Sank elfin ice-city
And frost-goblin's tent.
Sing hi,
Sing hey,
Sing ho!
Yet sweet wild April,
The blithe, the brave,
Fell asleep in the fields
By a windless wave
And Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Preached over his grave.
Sing hi,
Sing hey,
Sing ho!
O sweet wild April,
Farewell to thee!
And a deep sweet sleep
To thy sisters three, -
Carnation, and Rose,
And tall Lily.
Sing hi,
Sing hey,
Sing ho!
poem by William Force Stead
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Lament of the Maple Tree
I laid me down one day in June;
It was late-long after noon-
A very sultry summer's eve,
Such times the senses oft deceive.
The place was 'neath a maple tree,
Soon from all cares and troubles free,
By a gentle, kindly slumber,
No more our sorrows we could number.
But we heard a plaintive wail,
Such as we find in fairy tale ;
It was the genius of the tree,
Who, in sad guise, appeared to me.
And then she sadly did give vent
Unto this awful, grave lament,
'Though I am gay in month of June,
All decked in green ; yet very soon,
Alas ! my beauty will be faded,
And my charms be all degraded,
For is my time of glory brief ;
So often flattered is my leaf.
In Canada, so broad and free,
All poets sing of the maple tree.
High I stand, in their opinion,
Emblem of the New Dominion.
The reason I do them upbraid,
Some never slept beneath my shade ;
And yet they take the liberty
To chant about the maple tree.
They dare to poetize my leaf -
is the source of all my grief.
I think their praises all so rude,
And as but base in gratitude ;
So often hackneyed is my name,
That every fall I burn with shame-
Like maiden's cheek which blushes red
When vain rash youth asks her to wed.
Then do these foolish ones descry
In me fresh beauty, and they sigh,
And then renew their songs of praise-
But unto me now sad their lays ;
For then I know my days are brief,
'Tis hectic flush upon my leaf.
True poets, then, should mournful sing,
When the destroyer's on the wing ;
For then I know my leaves of gold
Will all soon mingle with the mould.
No one does ever think to praise
The fell destroyer when he slays ;
No one rejoice in the flushed cheek,
When the poor girl is low and weak.
Perhaps they'll say, and it is true,
In Spring my glory I'll renew ;
But' tis poor comfort after all
To lose my offspring every Fall.
Small consolation to mother
To tell her that soon another
Will replace her fond darling boy,
Who has been source of all her joy.
But you know all about my wood,
You know that it is strong and good ;
And I have full many a curl,
And pleasing eye and charming nurl.
Some love me as fond nature grain'd
And some prefer my beauties stain'd ;
But my dear friend I hope that you
My varied shades like pure and true,
For of the woods you know the staple,
Stoutest and best, is good maple.
The youth my sugar eat with glee
And old maids love me in their tea.
In me do various uses meet-
In summer shade, in winter heat,
For I do make a glorious blaze,
All worthy of the poet's lays ;
But to their praises I'll be deaf
If more they harp about my leaf-
They call me gay when I am sober,
To me 'tis gloomy month, October.
But saints on earth, when they die
Hope for true bliss beyond the sky,
So winter does bring no alarms
Though it strip bare my trunk and arms,
For now I know that time will bring
More glorious foliage in the spring.
Then, all nature will rejoice,
Triumphing with glorious voice,
And birds will, in my branches, sing
Hosannas to the lovely spring.
[The nurls and bird's eyes and curls were highly prized
in furniture thirty years ago, when we used the smooth plain.
poem by James McIntyre
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U n i c o r n 1 5
Those to whom it has revealed itself
- grazing in a grove of trees,
a ray of morning sunlight
lighting the dewdrops on the mossy grass;
or galloping, white mane flying in the wind,
over the high green hills;
or briefly glimpsed, shining-eyed
between the white-spumed waves –
they bring back with them, the experience
which always will be theirs;
some place of inner peace
to which they may refer all the events
of life; so that, like some shaken bright kaleidoscope,
all falls into its place.
Some never speak of this; some see no reason not to speak;
and risk response: thus, some envious, as ‘why not me? ’
some, just curious; some, eager to hear all,
as if they always knew, or ‘thought they guessed’, that it exists…
Even spoken from the heart, words live a life that’s perilous:
some who are so fortunate as to catch it there
in that sacred grove of trees, and on whom
the unicorn bestows its glance, as eye to eye,
speak of a softness, of a sweetness; some
say, it looked into my inmost soul;
some simply fall in love with their true peaceful self;
some speak of being so at one with it,
that all the world is ever one: so that,
its glance bestowed on them, their every glance
henceforward, sees that unity in everything.
some speak of it; some hold it in
pure silence of the heart, and live it
in themselves, as if
they are its children in the world;
their glance, as sparkling eye meets sparkling eye,
will tell us all we need to know
that moment when we know
that there is something which we know, have ever known,
but knew not what it was until
- like some glimpse of the unicorn,
here, now, always; one glimpse, one glance,
and its work done -
we know we know
poem by Michael Shepherd
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Amazing Grace
In the little town where I am the Preacher
every Sunday we are open
we sing what we call our healing hymn.
It is the last hymn of the service
and before we sing it, I ask everyone
to think of someone who is not well.
Whether they are at home or in hospital.
I ask them to picture in them in their mind
the person whom needs God’s help in some way,
and as they sing it,
think they are singing it to them as well as our Lord.
The hymn we sing is Amazing Grace,
what we call our healing hymn.
We raise our voices high without accompaniment.
If you heard us singing
you would not find a wrong note sung by anyone.
Instead, you would hear a choir of voices
like a heavenly choir.
24 May 2008
poem by David Harris
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Sing This Heart Back To Me
This heart that slept the beauty sleep
And dreamt of daylight drums of joy
This heart that dived abyss too deep
Sing this heart bring this heart
Bring this heart back to me
For there will be no more no heart
No no more heart
No no more heart to beat in me
This heart that leaped this heart that burned
In ashes smashed and crushed and rocked
This heart your heart it never learned
Sing this heart sink not this heart
Think not this heart belongs just to me
For there will be no more no heart
No no more heart
No no more heart to sing in me
This heart that shared your heart that dared
To see too much of the heart in me
Sing this heart bring this heart
Bring this heart back to me
For there will be no more no heart
No no more heart
No no more heart to dream in me
This heart your heart my heart toy heart
Sink not this heart choke not this heart
Sing this heart bring this heart
Bring this heart back to me
That I can cling to this heart
Sing to this heart
Bring my heart back to me
poem by Miroslava Odalovic
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My DNA Angel
I love how you know,
When I am always in pain,
I love how you see my DNA flow in me,
You are My DNA Angel too me,
Your eyes they shine,
Such a beautiful Hazel sight,
So bright and pure,
You are My DNA Angel,
Your short brown hair,
Is so soft to touch,
I love your smile,
Of every Angels thoughts,
DNA Angel,
Oh how I sub come to thee,
And oh how I dream,
Of being in your embrace again,
DNA Angel,
My heart beats for you,
When will you see that I was created for you?
My heart belongs to you,
DNA Angel,
You are strong and tall,
My every essence,
Was just made for you to only breathe,
DNA Angel,
So light and pure,
But even though you dress in black,
You'll never hurt a deer,
DNA Angel,
Please come fly too me,
I want you, I need you,
I need my angel's lips to breathe,
You are my DNA Angel! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Poor Cock Robin
My garden robin in the Spring
Was rapturous with glee,
And followed me with wistful wing
From pear to apple tree;
His melodies the summer long
He carolled with delight,
As if he could with jewelled song
Find favour in my sight.
And now that Autumn's in the air
He's singing singing still,
And yet somehow I cannot bear
The frenzy of his bill;
The keen wind ruffs his ruddy breast
As to bare boughs he clings;
The sun is sullen in the West
Yet still he sings and sings.
Soon, soon the legions of the snow
Will pitch their tents again,
And round my window-sill I know
He'll call for crumbs in vein;
The pulsing passion of his throat
Has hint of Winter woe;
The piercing sweetness of his note
entreats me not to go.
In vein, in vain, Oh valiant one,
You sing to bid me stay!
For all my life is in the sun
And I must fly away.
yet by no gold or orange glow
Will I be comforted,
Seeing blood-bright in bitter snow -
A robin dead.
poem by Robert William Service
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Sad Old Red
I walk on stone, it leads me home.
We dont have streets, just pure concrete.
Im not glad when I get home,
Im sad old red, I dont wanna be alone.
Chorus:
Sad old red, sat at home.
Sad old red, living on his own.
Sad old red, sat at home.
Sad old red, let me take you home.
Its a cubic room, two hole peep through.
Shadows on the wall of trees so tall.
I think of her again, the joy she used to bring.
Lay there in bed two words she said.
She said oh red (repeat)
Sad old red, thats what I am.
All the time, every night,
Sad old red.
song performed by by Simply Red
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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