I
There are faeries, bright of eye,
Who the wildflowers’ warders are:
Ouphes, that chase the firefly;
Elves, that ride the shooting-star:
Fays, who in a cobweb lie,
Swinging on a moonbeam bar;
Or who harness bumblebees,
Grumbling on the clover leas,
To a blossom or a breeze—
That’s their faery car.
If you care, you too may see
There are faeries.—Verily,
There are faeries.
II
There are faeries. I could swear
I have seen them busy, where
Roses loose their scented hair,
In the moonlight weaving, weaving,
Out of starlight and the dew,
Glinting gown and shimmering shoe;
Or, within a glowworm lair,
From the dark earth slowly heaving
Mushrooms whiter than the moon,
On whose tops they sit and croon,
With their grig-like mandolins,
To fair faery ladykins,
Leaning from the windowsill
Of a rose or daffodil,
Listening to their serenade
All of cricket-music made.
Follow me, oh, follow me!
Ho! away to Faerie!
Where your eyes like mine may see
There are faeries.—Verily,
There are faeries.
III
There are faeries. Elves that swing
In a wild and rainbow ring
Through the air; or mount the wing
Of a bat to courier news
To the faery King and Queen:
Fays, who stretch the gossamers
On which twilight hangs the dews;
Who, within the moonlight sheen,
Whisper dimly in the ears
Of the flowers words so sweet
That their hearts are turned to musk
And to honey; things that beat
In their veins of gold and blue:
Ouphes, that shepherd moths of dusk—
Soft of wing and gray of hue—
Forth to pasture on the dew.
IV
There are faeries; verily;
Verily:
For the old owl in the tree,
Hollow tree,
He who maketh melody
For them tripping merrily,
Told it me.
There are faeries.—Verily,
There are faeries.
(Madison Julius Cawein)
More Poetry from Madison Julius Cawein:
Madison Julius Cawein Poems based on Topics: Nature, Gold, Flowers, Hair, Kings & Queens, Listening, Cars- One Day And Another: A Lyrical Eclogue - Part III (Madison Julius Cawein Poems)
- Accolon Of Gaul: Part III (Madison Julius Cawein Poems)
- One Day And Another: A Lyrical Eclogue - Part I (Madison Julius Cawein Poems)
- Accolon Of Gaul: Part I (Madison Julius Cawein Poems)
- Accolon Of Gaul: Part II (Madison Julius Cawein Poems)
- One Day And Another: A Lyrical Eclogue - Part II (Madison Julius Cawein Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Nature Poems, Flowers Poems, Kings & Queens Poems, Gold Poems, Hair Poems, Listening Poems, Cars PoemsBased on Keywords: warders, windowsill, faeries, glowworm, gossamers, courier, bumblebees, mandolins, breeze-, hue-, shooting-star