Frances Shaw

Frances Shaw

Who loves the rainAnd loves his home,And looks on life with quiet eyes,Him will I follow through the storm;And at his hearth-fire keep me warm;Nor hell nor heaven shall that soul surprise,Who loves the rain,And loves his home,And looks on life with quiet eyes.

Who loves the rainAnd loves his home,And looks on life with quiet eyes,Him will I follow through the storm;And at his hearth-fire keep me warm;Nor hell nor heaven shall that soul surprise,Who loves the rain,And loves his home,And looks on life with quiet eyes.

Who loves the rainAnd loves his home,And looks on life with quiet eyes,Him will I follow through the storm;And at his hearth-fire keep me warm;Nor hell nor heaven shall that soul surprise,Who loves the rain,And loves his home,And looks on life with quiet eyes.

Who loves the rain

And loves his home,

And looks on life with quiet eyes,

Him will I follow through the storm;

And at his hearth-fire keep me warm;

Nor hell nor heaven shall that soul surprise,

Who loves the rain,

And loves his home,

And looks on life with quiet eyes.

My house stands high—Where the harp of the windPlays all day,Plays all night;And the city lightIs far away.Where hangs the harp that the winds play?—High in the air—Over the sea?The long straight streets of the far-away town,Where the lines of light go sweeping down,Are the strings of its minstrelsy.And the harp of the windGives to the windA song of the city’s tears;Thin and faint, the cry of a child,Plaint of the soul unreconciled,A song of the passing years.

My house stands high—Where the harp of the windPlays all day,Plays all night;And the city lightIs far away.Where hangs the harp that the winds play?—High in the air—Over the sea?The long straight streets of the far-away town,Where the lines of light go sweeping down,Are the strings of its minstrelsy.And the harp of the windGives to the windA song of the city’s tears;Thin and faint, the cry of a child,Plaint of the soul unreconciled,A song of the passing years.

My house stands high—Where the harp of the windPlays all day,Plays all night;And the city lightIs far away.

My house stands high—

Where the harp of the wind

Plays all day,

Plays all night;

And the city light

Is far away.

Where hangs the harp that the winds play?—High in the air—Over the sea?

Where hangs the harp that the winds play?—

High in the air—

Over the sea?

The long straight streets of the far-away town,Where the lines of light go sweeping down,Are the strings of its minstrelsy.

The long straight streets of the far-away town,

Where the lines of light go sweeping down,

Are the strings of its minstrelsy.

And the harp of the windGives to the windA song of the city’s tears;Thin and faint, the cry of a child,Plaint of the soul unreconciled,A song of the passing years.

And the harp of the wind

Gives to the wind

A song of the city’s tears;

Thin and faint, the cry of a child,

Plaint of the soul unreconciled,

A song of the passing years.

THE RAGPICKER

The Ragpicker sits and sorts her rags:Silk and homespun and threads of goldShe plucks to pieces and marks with tags;And her eyes are ice and her fingers cold.The Ragpicker sits in the back of my brain;Keenly she looks me through and through.One flaming shred I have hidden away—She shall not have my love for you.

The Ragpicker sits and sorts her rags:Silk and homespun and threads of goldShe plucks to pieces and marks with tags;And her eyes are ice and her fingers cold.The Ragpicker sits in the back of my brain;Keenly she looks me through and through.One flaming shred I have hidden away—She shall not have my love for you.

The Ragpicker sits and sorts her rags:Silk and homespun and threads of goldShe plucks to pieces and marks with tags;And her eyes are ice and her fingers cold.

The Ragpicker sits and sorts her rags:

Silk and homespun and threads of gold

She plucks to pieces and marks with tags;

And her eyes are ice and her fingers cold.

The Ragpicker sits in the back of my brain;Keenly she looks me through and through.One flaming shred I have hidden away—She shall not have my love for you.

The Ragpicker sits in the back of my brain;

Keenly she looks me through and through.

One flaming shred I have hidden away—

She shall not have my love for you.

The little white prayersOf Elspeth FryFloat up the archesInto the sky.A little black birdOn the belfry highPecks at themAs they go by.

The little white prayersOf Elspeth FryFloat up the archesInto the sky.A little black birdOn the belfry highPecks at themAs they go by.

The little white prayersOf Elspeth FryFloat up the archesInto the sky.

The little white prayers

Of Elspeth Fry

Float up the arches

Into the sky.

A little black birdOn the belfry highPecks at themAs they go by.

A little black bird

On the belfry high

Pecks at them

As they go by.

I shall see a star tonightFrom a distant mountain height;From a city you will seeThe same star that shines on me.’Tis not of the firmamentOn a solar journey bent;Fixed it is through time and weather;—’Tis a thought we hold together.

I shall see a star tonightFrom a distant mountain height;From a city you will seeThe same star that shines on me.’Tis not of the firmamentOn a solar journey bent;Fixed it is through time and weather;—’Tis a thought we hold together.

I shall see a star tonightFrom a distant mountain height;From a city you will seeThe same star that shines on me.

I shall see a star tonight

From a distant mountain height;

From a city you will see

The same star that shines on me.

’Tis not of the firmamentOn a solar journey bent;Fixed it is through time and weather;—’Tis a thought we hold together.

’Tis not of the firmament

On a solar journey bent;

Fixed it is through time and weather;—

’Tis a thought we hold together.

THE CHILD’S QUEST

My mother twines me roses wet with dew;Oft have I sought the garden through and through;I cannot find the tree whereonMy mother’s roses grew.Seek not, O child, the tree whereonThy mother’s roses grew.My mother tells me tales of noble deeds;Oft have I sought her book when no one heeds;I cannot find the page, alas,From which my mother reads.Seek not, O child, to find the pageFrom which thy mother reads.My mother croons me songs all soft and low,Through the white night where little breezes blow;Yet never when the morning dawns,My mother’s songs I know.Seek not, O child, at dawn of dayThy mother’s songs to know.

My mother twines me roses wet with dew;Oft have I sought the garden through and through;I cannot find the tree whereonMy mother’s roses grew.Seek not, O child, the tree whereonThy mother’s roses grew.My mother tells me tales of noble deeds;Oft have I sought her book when no one heeds;I cannot find the page, alas,From which my mother reads.Seek not, O child, to find the pageFrom which thy mother reads.My mother croons me songs all soft and low,Through the white night where little breezes blow;Yet never when the morning dawns,My mother’s songs I know.Seek not, O child, at dawn of dayThy mother’s songs to know.

My mother twines me roses wet with dew;Oft have I sought the garden through and through;I cannot find the tree whereonMy mother’s roses grew.Seek not, O child, the tree whereonThy mother’s roses grew.

My mother twines me roses wet with dew;

Oft have I sought the garden through and through;

I cannot find the tree whereon

My mother’s roses grew.

Seek not, O child, the tree whereon

Thy mother’s roses grew.

My mother tells me tales of noble deeds;Oft have I sought her book when no one heeds;I cannot find the page, alas,From which my mother reads.Seek not, O child, to find the pageFrom which thy mother reads.

My mother tells me tales of noble deeds;

Oft have I sought her book when no one heeds;

I cannot find the page, alas,

From which my mother reads.

Seek not, O child, to find the page

From which thy mother reads.

My mother croons me songs all soft and low,Through the white night where little breezes blow;Yet never when the morning dawns,My mother’s songs I know.Seek not, O child, at dawn of dayThy mother’s songs to know.

My mother croons me songs all soft and low,

Through the white night where little breezes blow;

Yet never when the morning dawns,

My mother’s songs I know.

Seek not, O child, at dawn of day

Thy mother’s songs to know.

In the dark and peace of my final bed,The wet grass waving above my head,At rest from love, at rest from pain,I lie and listen to the rain.Falling, softly falling,Song of my soul that is free;Song of my soul that has not forgotThe sleeping body of me.When quiet and calm and straight I lie,High in the air my soul rides by:Shall I await thee, soul, in vain?Hark to the answer in the rain.Falling, softly falling,Song of my soul that is free;Song of my soul that will not forgetThe sleeping body of me.

In the dark and peace of my final bed,The wet grass waving above my head,At rest from love, at rest from pain,I lie and listen to the rain.Falling, softly falling,Song of my soul that is free;Song of my soul that has not forgotThe sleeping body of me.When quiet and calm and straight I lie,High in the air my soul rides by:Shall I await thee, soul, in vain?Hark to the answer in the rain.Falling, softly falling,Song of my soul that is free;Song of my soul that will not forgetThe sleeping body of me.

In the dark and peace of my final bed,The wet grass waving above my head,At rest from love, at rest from pain,I lie and listen to the rain.

In the dark and peace of my final bed,

The wet grass waving above my head,

At rest from love, at rest from pain,

I lie and listen to the rain.

Falling, softly falling,Song of my soul that is free;Song of my soul that has not forgotThe sleeping body of me.

Falling, softly falling,

Song of my soul that is free;

Song of my soul that has not forgot

The sleeping body of me.

When quiet and calm and straight I lie,High in the air my soul rides by:Shall I await thee, soul, in vain?Hark to the answer in the rain.

When quiet and calm and straight I lie,

High in the air my soul rides by:

Shall I await thee, soul, in vain?

Hark to the answer in the rain.

Falling, softly falling,Song of my soul that is free;Song of my soul that will not forgetThe sleeping body of me.

Falling, softly falling,

Song of my soul that is free;

Song of my soul that will not forget

The sleeping body of me.


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