Swallow, Swallow

by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (from The Princess)

O Swallow, Swallow, flying, flying South,
Fly to her, and fall upon her gilded eaves,
And tell her, tell her, what I tell to thee.

O tell her, Swallow, thou that knowest each,
That bright and fierce and fickle is the South,
And dark and true and tender is the North.

O Swallow, Swallow, if I could follow, and light
Upon her lattice, I would pipe and trill,
And cheep and twitter twenty million loves.

O were I thou that she might take me in,
And lay me on her bosom, and her heart
Would rock the snowy cradle till I died.

Why lingereth she to clothe her heart with love,
Delaying as the tender ash delays
To clothe herself, when all the woods are green?

O tell her, Swallow, that thy brood is flown:
Say to her, I do but wanton in the South,
But in the North long since my nest is made.

O tell her, brief is life but love is long,
And brief the sun of summer in the North,
And brief the moon of beauty in the South.

O Swallow, flying from the golden woods,
Fly to her, and pipe and woo her, and make her mine,
And tell her, tell her, that I follow thee.

* * *

This is just me being homesick. Bright and fierce and fickle is the South... well, actually, right now the South is cold and muddy. But they tell me the trees at my nest in the North (Seattle) are in bloom. Easter break is less than two weeks away! and none too soon. I can't wait to be rained on by pink and white blossoms and smiled at by daffodils. There are beautiful places in the world, but I think none of them matches Maple Valley in the spring.