Sweet spring is here, and o’er the earth
A verdant garb is seen,
As drenched in balm of April rains
The fields put on their green.
The apple-orchards, all transformed,
Are wrapt in clouds of bloom,
And here the robin loves to swing and breathe
the rare perfume.
The dandelions by thousands gleam,
And every little one
Seems, with its round of golden rays,
Like to a fairy sun.
The tulips burn with crimson flame
Along each narrow bed,—
Like dainty elfin lamps they glow, and light
the lawn with red.
The violets uplift their heads
And star the grass with blue,
The daffodils hold up their cups
To catch the morning dew.
The small May-apple spreads abroad
Its leafy little tent,
And with the jasmine’s balmy breath the vale
is redolent.
Beside the sylvan banks unseen
Shy Quaker-ladies blow,
And on the hill the blood-root spreads
Her drifts of vernal snow.
From oak-tree roots the primrose runs,
And paints with paly gold
The carpeting of withered leaves that clothes
the sombre wold.
Where is the dear hepatica
With its sweet baby face?
There, in the shadow of the wood,
It peeps with modest grace.
And near it is that child of spring,
The pale anemone.
While in the mossy dell the fern uprears her
tiny tree.
Down by the pond ’tis like a camp
Of mimic state, I ween,
For all the tender willows stand
Pavilioned o’er with green.
Wild honeysuckles pour their scent
Upon the woodland breeze,
And tempt from far-off pasture fields the
golden-belted bees.
The crocuses and hyacinths,
Sweet infants of the year,
Show dainty faces dimmed at dawn
With many a dewy tear.
The hedges of japonica
Have donned their spring attire,
And border all the grassy lawn with walls of
flowery fire.
The orchards, lanes, and meadows all
Are odorous with May,
And every happy little bird
Is carolling his lay.
The hills and valleys, woods and streams,
Are smiling far and near,
And all the world is filled with joy because
sweet Spring is here.
(John Russell Hayes)
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Based on Topics: World Poems, Nature Poems, Faces Poems, Fire Poems, Gold Poems, Spring Poems, Morning Poems, Snow Poems, Fairy PoemsBased on Keywords: paly, pavilioned, carpeting, blood-root, japonica, may-apple, apple-orchards, golden-belted, hepatica