A Southern Road
Yolk-colored tongueParched beneath a burning sky,A lazy little tuneHummed up the crest of someSoft sloping hill.One streaming line of beautyFlowing by a forestPregnant with tears.A hidden nest for beautyIdly flung by GodIn one lonely lingering hourBefore the Sabbath.A blue-fruited black gum,Like a tall predella,Bears a dangling figure,—Sacrificial dower to the raff,Swinging alone,A solemn, tortured shadow in the air.
Yolk-colored tongueParched beneath a burning sky,A lazy little tuneHummed up the crest of someSoft sloping hill.One streaming line of beautyFlowing by a forestPregnant with tears.A hidden nest for beautyIdly flung by GodIn one lonely lingering hourBefore the Sabbath.A blue-fruited black gum,Like a tall predella,Bears a dangling figure,—Sacrificial dower to the raff,Swinging alone,A solemn, tortured shadow in the air.
Yolk-colored tongueParched beneath a burning sky,A lazy little tuneHummed up the crest of someSoft sloping hill.One streaming line of beautyFlowing by a forestPregnant with tears.A hidden nest for beautyIdly flung by GodIn one lonely lingering hourBefore the Sabbath.A blue-fruited black gum,Like a tall predella,Bears a dangling figure,—Sacrificial dower to the raff,Swinging alone,A solemn, tortured shadow in the air.
Yolk-colored tongue
Parched beneath a burning sky,
A lazy little tune
Hummed up the crest of some
Soft sloping hill.
One streaming line of beauty
Flowing by a forest
Pregnant with tears.
A hidden nest for beauty
Idly flung by God
In one lonely lingering hour
Before the Sabbath.
A blue-fruited black gum,
Like a tall predella,
Bears a dangling figure,—
Sacrificial dower to the raff,
Swinging alone,
A solemn, tortured shadow in the air.
Helene Johnson.