At Christmas-tide / H. Cordelia Ray

At Christmas-tide

Gleamed a resplendent star
Over the hillsides far,
While shepherds watched by night
On the peaceful height.

Softly the gold-light fell
Over the vale and dell,
While angels warbled clear
“Lo! the Christ-child's here!”

Wise men brought there with them,
Sweet Child of Bethlehem,
Rare gifts to offer Thee,
For Thou mad'st them free.

“Peace!” list the magic word
Now through the ages heard;
“Good-will!” it echoes still
With the olden thrill.

Sweet Child in mercy sent,
Jesus, grant us content.
Evermore may we be
Near to truth and Thee!

~~
H. Cordelia Ray (1852-1916)
from Poems, 1910

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

H. Cordelia Ray biography

Nativity, c. 1720-1725 (detail). Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.

December / H. Cordelia Ray

from The Procession of the Seasons

December

List! List! the sleigh bells peal across the snow;

The frost's sharp arrows touch the earth and lo!
How diamond-bright the stars to scintillate
When Night hath lit hr lamps to Heaven's gate.
To the dim forest's cloistered arches go,
And seek the holly and the mistletoe;
For soon the bells of Christmas-tide will ring
To hail the Heavenly King!

~~
H. Cordelia Ray (1852-1916)
from Poems, 1910

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

[January]

H. Cordelia Ray biography

November / H. Cordelia Ray

from The Procession of the Seasons

November

The leaves are sere,
The woods are drear,
The breeze that erst so merrily did play,
Naught giveth but a melancholy lay;
Yet life's great lessons do not fail
E'en in November's gale.
 
~~
H. Cordelia Ray (1852-1916)
from Poems, 1910

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

[December]

H. Cordelia Ray biography

Doug Lee, Late Autumn in the West Woods, 2011. CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

October / H. Cordelia Ray

from The Procession of the Seasons

October

The mellow moon hangs golden in the sky,
The vintage song is over, far and nigh
A richer beauty Nature weareth now,
And silently in reverence we bow
Before the forest altars, off'ring praise
To Him who sweetness gives to all our days.

~~
H. Cordelia Ray (1852-1916)
from Poems, 1910

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

[November]

H. Cordelia Ray biography

Jonathan Billinger, Golden October, 2016. CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

September / H. Cordelia Ray

from The Procession of the Seasons

September

With what a gentle sound
The autumn leaves drop to the ground;
With many-colored dyes,
They greet our watching eyes.
Rosy and russet, how they fall!
Throwing o'er earth a leafy pall.

~~
H. Cordelia Ray (1852-1916)
from Poems, 1910

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

[October]

H. Cordelia Ray biography

John Fowler, Falling Leaves (detail), September 2012.  CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

August / H. Cordelia Ray

from The Procession of the Seasons

August

    Haste to the mighty ocean,
    List to the lapsing waves;
With what a strange commotion
    They seek their coral caves.
From heat and turmoil let us oft return,
The ocean's solemn majesty to learn.

~~
H. Cordelia Ray (1852-1916)
from Poems, 1910

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

[September]

H. Cordelia Ray biography

DiscoA340, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, August 2022 (detail).

CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

July / H. Cordelia Ray

from The Procession of the Seasons

July

Sunshine and shadow play amid the trees
In bosky groves, while from the vivid sky
The sun’s gold arrows fleck the fields at noon,
        Where weary cattle to their slumber hie.
How sweet the music of the purling rill,
Trickling adown the grassy hill!
While dreamy fancies come to give repose
When the first star of evening glows.

~~
H. Cordelia Ray (1852-1916)
from Poems, 1910

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

[August]

H. Cordelia Ray biography

Fredrik Marinus Kruseman (1816–1882), A Summer Landscape, 1863. Wikimedia Commons.

June / H. Cordelia Ray

from The Procession of the Seasons

Agathe Pilon (1777-1846), Roses in a Vase.
Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.

June

Roses, roses, roses,
Creamy, Fragrant, dewy!
        See the rainbow shower!
    Was there e'er so sweet a flower?
I'm the rose-nymph June they call me.
    Sunset's blush is not more fair
            Than the gift of bloom so rare,
Mortal, that I bring to thee!

~~
H. Cordelia Ray (1852-1916)
from Poems, 1910

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

[July]

H. Cordelia Ray biography

May / H. Cordelia Ray

from The Procession of the Seasons

Sophie Anderson (1823-1903), Take the Fair Face

 of Women...Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

May 

Sweet winsome May, coy pensive fay,
     Comes garlanded with lily bells,
And apple blooms shed incense through the bow'r,
     To be her dow'r;
     While through the leafy dells
     A wondrous concert swells
To welcome May, the dainty fay.

~~
H. Cordelia Ray (1852-1916)
from Poems, 1910

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

[June]

H. Cordelia Ray biography

April / H. Cordelia Ray

from The Procession of the Seasons

Elf holding a bouquet in Spring, ca. 1890
Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

April

She trips across the meadows,
    The weird capricious elf!
The buds unfold their perfumed cups
    For love of her sweet self;
And silver-throated birds begin to tune their lyres,
While wind-harps lend their strains to Nature's magic choirs.

~~
H. Cordelia Ray (1852-1916)
from Poems, 1910

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

[May]

H. Cordelia Ray biography

March / H. Cordelia Ray

from The Procession of the Seasons

March

Robin! Robin! Call the Springtime!
    March is halting on his way;
Hear the gusts. What! snowflakes falling!
    Look not for the grass today.
    Ay, the wind will frisk and play,
    And we cannot say it nay.

~~
H. Cordelia Ray (1852-1916)
from Poems, 1910

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

[April]

H. Cordelia Ray biography

Tim Felce, "Robin - March 2009." CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. 

February / H. Cordelia Ray

from The Procession of the Seasons

February

    The icicles upon the pane
    Are busy architects; they leave
What temples and what chiseled forms
    Of leaf and flower. Then believe
That though the woods be brown and bare,
    And sunbeams peep through cloudy veils,
Though tempests houwl through leaden skies,
    The Springtime never fails!

~~
H. Cordelia Ray (1852-1916)
from Poems, 1910

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

[March]

H. Cordelia Ray biography

Alexandr frolov, Frost on window, 2011. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

January / H. Cordelia Ray

from The Procession of the Seasons

January

To herald in another year,
        With rhythmic note the snowflakes fall
Silently from their crystal courts,
        To answer Winter's call.
Wake, mortal! Time is winged anew!
        Call Love and Hope and Faith to fill
The chambers of thy soul to-day;
        Life hath its blessings still!

~~
H. Cordelia Ray (1852-1916)
from Poems, 1910

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

[February]

H. Cordelia Ray biography

Olga 1969, Porvoo, Finland,, Old City in January, 2016. CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons