"Two Days"

Two Days

I crossed a daisied field; the skies were fair, 

The lusty trees stretched green arms over-head; 

The sun shook gold dust thro' the April air, 

And a glad brook leaped down its pebbled bed. 

The meadow-lark flung out such liquid notes, 

My happy soul stood still and leaned to hear; 

The wild canaries fluffed their yellow coats, 

And turned their restless heads in jealous fear. 

And, oh, my heart was glad, for it was spring! 

Blue, blue the dappled skies that swung above! 

But still more glad my soul, remembering 

The world was sweet to me because of love. 

               *        *        *        *        *        *        *

I crossed a lonely field; the skies were grey, 

The winds crept from the sea with sullen moans; 

Ice-locked, ice-bound, the brook grieved night and day 

Above the hollow sound of falling cones. 

With drumming wings the mottled pheasant flew, 

The ghostly trees reached barren arms across; 

And, oh, my heart was sad―so well I knew 

The winter world was dull because of loss. 

"Two Days" as it appears in Ella Higginson's When the Birds Go North Again (1898).