In her bright cheeks: she darts away to find
Like some uncovered hind
Shade in the forest from the stag’s pursuit,
Ere the sun’s passion shoot
His ray, strange deeps unknown and feared to uncover.
But now the ancient root
Of some wise oak betrays her to her lover:
She stumbles and falls prone: the forest noon
Guesses life’s law ; all nature’s tune
Tells that the hour is come when May must grow to June.
-Then in the broad glare of the careless sun
Apollo’s light is on her and within ;
His shafts of glory pierce her one by one;
His kisses darken, shivering and keen,
Swift glories cold and clean
Of that chaste bridal, and the earth gets gladness,
Till the last winter’s traces
Fall from the spring’s last cold wind—shining sadness !—
And from the frail new faces
Blushing through moss; and all the world is light
With the unsufferably bright
Full joy and guerdon of that sunny season
By Love's sweet trap of treason. ,
So the bright girl is now a woman brighter ;
And childhood sees a reason
Beneath the strong stroke of the goodly smiter
For all the past: and love at last is hers.
No more the bosom’s pride demurs
While in her womb the first faint pulse of motherhood
soft stirs.
79