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Sunday, March 12, 2023

A March Glee / John Burroughs


A March Glee

I hear the wild geese honking
From out the misty night,—
A sound of moving armies
On-sweeping in their might;
The river ice is drifting
Beneath their northward flight.

I hear the bluebird plaintive
From out the morning sky,
Or see his wings a-twinkle
That with the azure vie;
No other bird more welcome,
No more prophetic cry.

I hear the sparrow's ditty
Anear my study door;
A simple song of gladness
That winter days are o'er
My heart is singing with him,
I love him more and more.

I hear the starling fluting
His liquid "O-ka-lee;"
I hear the downy drumming,
His vernal reveillé;
From out the maple orchard
The nuthatch calls to me.

Oh, spring is surely coming.
Her couriers fill the air;
Each morn are new arrivals,
Each night her ways prepare;
I scent her fragrant garments,
Her foot is on the stair.

~~
John Burroughs (1837-1921)
from 
Bird and Bough, 1906

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

John Burroughs biography

CheepShot, Greater White-Fronted Geese with Canadian Followers, 2013. CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

1 comment:

  1. What a beautiful poem. “A sound of morning armies.” I love this. Their in form, flying in coordination with unity. If only we humans could gleam from this how we would sing high to the mountain top and everyone would hear. Thank you for sharing.

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