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Summer Song Of The Swallow.

by Marietta Holley

You will journey many a weary day and long,

Ere you will see so restful and sweet a place,

As this, my home, my nest so downy and warm,

The labor of many happy and hopeful days;

But its low brown walls are laid and softly lined,

And oh, full happily now my rest I take,

And care not I when it lightly rocks in the wind,

For the branch above though it bends will never break;

And close by my side rings out the voice of my mate - my lover;

Oh, the days are long, and the days are bright - and

Summer will last forever.

Now the stream that divides us from perfect bliss

Seems floating past so narrow - so narrow,

You could span its wave such a morn as this,

With a moment winged like a golden arrow,

And the sweet wind waves all the tasselled broom,

And over the hill does it loitering come,

Oh, the perfect light - oh, the perfect bloom,

And the silence is thrilled with the murmurous hum

Of the bees a-kissing the red-lipped clover;

Oh, the days are long, and the days are bright - and

Summer will last forever.

When the West is a golden glow, and lower

The sun is sinking large and round,

Like a golden goblet spilling o'er,

Glittering drops that drip to the ground -

Then I spread my lustrous wings and cleave the air

Sailing high with a motion calm and slow,

Far down the green earth lies like a picture fair,

Then with rapid wing I sink in the shining glow;

A-chasing the glinting, gleaming drops; oh, a diver

Am I in a clear and golden sea, and Summer will last forever.

The leaves with a pleasant rustling sound are stirred

Of a night, and the stars are calm and bright;

And I know, although I am only a little bird,

One large serious star is watching me all the night,

For when the dewy leaves are waved by the breeze,

I see it forever smiling down on me.

So I cover my head with my wing, and sleep in peace,

As blessed as ever a little bird can be;

And the silver moonlight falls over land and sea and river,

And the nights are cool, and the nights are still, and

Summer will last forever.

I think you would journey many and many a day,

Ere you so contented and blest a bird would see;

Not all the wealth of the world could lure my love away,

For my brown little nest is all the world to me;

And care not I if brighter bowers there are

Lying close to the sun - where tall palms pierce the sky;

Oh, you would journey a weary way and a far,

Ere you would behold a bird so blest as I;

And singing close to my side is my mate - my kin - my lover;

Oh, the days are long, and the days are bright - and

Summer will last forever.