Winnie

I.
Twilight grey on the hills, and along the western shore,
Far, far away at the wide sea's rim the billows blanch and roar;
Far is life's tossing sea from my own light heart to-day,
Happy dreams of the night have chased the shadows away,
And the forest sighs to the !n who comes by the mo!ntain way.
II.
The arms of the rata are ro!nd the pine,
And the little white arms of the maiden mine
To-day, to-day shall aro!nd me twine,
"ith a warmer clasp than bine or vine;
And two big stars with a, light divine#
"innie's bright eyes#on me shall shine,
For to-day will "innie, my love, be mine.
III.
"innie and I will be one$
How slowly moves the time$
%ome, & laggard !n$
I am dr!n'en with (ife's rich wine;
I cannot rest while the slow ho!rs crawl
And the shadows die to the mo!ntain wall;
%leave clo!d c!rtains part and fall,
And rise, & !n, with a golden head,
For to-day will "innie and I be wed.
I).
*olden s!mmer morn, how the warm blood p!lses and sings
All thro!gh my heart as I hear the martin whirring of wings,
And the note of the s'ylar' far in the middle bl!e,
inging down to his bride below his bright bird-love anew.
"innie I wish yo! were here, the fern is temptingly green,
+ellow the shade of the trees with the s!nlight glinting between;
oft is the forest moss, meet throne for a wild-wood ,!een,
"innie I wish yo! were here in my arms in the pleasant shade,
That I might drin' deep, deep from yo!r eyes my own little maid,
"ith yo!r dar' here dribbling down with never a riband or braid.
).
&h we shall love as they loved in the age of gold,
"innie the treas!re mine, to have and to hold,
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+ine thro!gh the paths of earth, and after for ever and aye
"here heavenly lilies bloom in some deep mid vale of the s'y;
+ine, mine thro!gh the b!rsting of worlds and the spray
&f fire dashed from a !niverse r!ined and passing away$
)I.
&h, little love, I had long to wait for my bride,
And yo!th s!rged strong in my veins and wo!ld not be denied,
And I longed that the free old days were bac' in the woods again,
"ith only .at!re to solace her children in pleas!re or pain,
Then we wo!ld live in the glades and be always loving and 'ind,
And let the great world pass with its so!lless /march of mind0.
1!t with yo! beside me if ever an evil tho!ght sho!ld rise,
It wo!ld fly as I loo'ed into heaven in the dar' of yo!r eyes.
)II.
"innie and I will be one,
And the lar' is singing on high
His love to the early s!n,
A love that will wither and die;
& lar', I too m!st sing in the merry light,
For my heart 'eeps time to the dance of the morn's delight,
And I only long for the wings to fly,
And float with yo! in the pale bl!e s'y,
And sing of a love that never can die.
)III.
"inding broo's and ferny dells,
2inging mo'a-mo'a bells,
3ewy cobwebs swinging free
%hains of pearl from tree to tree,
*linty wrens that flash in air
*reenest pl!mes from bow to bow,
All the morn is fresh and fair,
(ife and m!sic everywhere,
That shall hear my bridal vow.
I4.
1are little ch!rch at the edge of the wood
"here +atai and 2im! lately stood,
%lash yo! poor little tin'ling bell,
The rich b!sh choir has s!ng so well
I as' yo! not for a bridal hymn,
5et tin'le away !ntil the bride comes in.
6
4.
(ang!id non with its heat and its pale bl!e s'y,
I have sworn an oath to love, to love till I die.
!rely I shall never find it hard to love7
1looming crimson the ratas trail above,
1ees drone over 8oromi'o9s flowers,
"hite and p!rple while onward dance the ho!rs.
he is mine she is mine to hold forever now,
For the golden morning has heard my bridal vow,
3ance happy ho!rs for time is a happy ma:e,
3ance happy ho!rs into love-warm nights and days
4I.
%onvolv!l!s arms caress and twine,
1!t softer the little white arms that are mine,
And closer their clasp than bine or vine,
And two big stars with a light divine,
"innie's bright eyes, !pon me shine,
For "innie is mine, mine, mine$
3avid +c8ee "right
;!'etoi, ;atearoa, &tago, +arch -<=>
&tago "itness 6- +arch -<=>
;!blished -<=? in Aorangi and Other Verses
T!ssoc' and Asphalt 2hymes .o @6
- 3+"9s .A .oteboo' -<==.
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