Sunday, September 17, 2023

The Passing of Summer / James Berry Bensel


The Passing of Summer

She gathers up her robes of green and gold,
    The fair, sweet Summer, and across the land
    We see her go, with outward-reaching hand
Whose magic spreads its beauties manifold
Along the region by her sway controlled.
    The trees, o'erhung with gorgeous banners, stand
    To see her pass them with a last command,
While all the world is draped in splendor bold.

She passes onward, from the lowlands first,
    Then lays a reverent touch on every hill,
        A smile of promise lighting up her face;
The brooks are fain to quench her fateful thirst,
    And glowing carpets line her roadway still,
    The splendid queen departing from her place.

~~
James Berry Bensel (1856-1886)
from In the King's Garden, and other poems, 1885

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

James Berry Bensel biography

"Tiandra, the Summer Queen", 2015. CC BY-SA 3.0, The Time of Fire.

1 comment:

  1. Cathleen Harvea GuthrieSeptember 26, 2023 at 4:04 AM

    Summer... saying, "Fare-thee-well." Personified 'summer'. 8 line subsection/octave followed by a 6 line sestet. First 8 lines: ABBA ABBA. Last 6 lines, sestet: CDE CDE. 💟💟💟💟💟💟

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