POETRY OLD AND NEW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15325, 11 June 1913, Page 10

POETRY OLD AND NEW.

AN IRISH IDYL. AS I stood amid the bracken, «is I stood amid the fern, I could hear the merry bicker, the blithe bicker of the burn. Bees were hummin'. softly hummin'; " She's a cdmin'! She's a comin' 1" With a little spurt of laughter called the brook at every turn

" Watch her! Watch her! Watch her! Watch her!" cried a curlew overhead; An' I knew that it was Koran by the trippin' of her tread; An' .a gentle, wind a croonin, In the silence of the noonin' "Dare you kiss her. Dare you kiss her?" were the "saucy words it said.

Sure, it stirred the heart within me, did that tauutin' of the wind, For the selfsame heart I mentioned was a sort of darin' kind ; When she came within my reachin' There was no pause for beseechin", For I kissed her, on' I kissed her, an', faith, Norah didn't mind!" --^ Senttett Stephens.

THE FOOD TROUBLE. Food with which we should be sated Firstly is adulterated. ■ In tho face we cannot look it, For no cook will come to cook ft. Then we bolt, though we may rue it, For we have no time to chew it. 'Tis in vain that we would try it, For we have no cash to buy it. Down our throats wo cannot filing it, Waiters strike, and will, not bring it. With futility we eye it; " > Faddists say we ought to diet. Small indeed our chance to know it, For the farmers will nut grow it. Therefore no one need be skeptic Why the nation is dyspeptic! —McLAKDBTjnGH Wilson. A SONG FOR MUSIC. Art thou poor, yet hast thou golden slumbers? O sweet content! Art thou rich, yet in thy mind perplexed? O punishment! Dost thou laugh to see how fools are" vex d To add to golden numbers golden numbers O sweet, content! 0 sweet, 0 sweet, content! Work apace, apace, apace, apace ; Honest labour beara a lovely face; Then hey nonny nonny—hey nonny nonny I Can'st thou drink the waters of tho crisped spring? O sweet content! ..... ... Swim'st thou in wealth, yet sink st in thine own. tears? O punishment! ... u Then he that patiently want s burdens bears. No burden tears, but is a king, a king! O sweet content! O sweet, O sweet content! Work apace, apace, apace, apace; Honest labour bears a lovely face; Then hey nonny nonny—hey nonny nonny! —Thomas Dekker. THE COUNTRY GOES TO TOWN.' The Country walked to town, and what did she find there? Not a bird nor flower, the trees forsaken were; The folk were hurrying to and fro in every lane and street ; ...... You scarce could hear your neighbour for the racket of their feet. Sh.o could not see the sun shine for dust about the sky; . She could not. hear the winds call, the walls went up so high ; And even when the night came to brush aside tho day, . ... She-found the garish city lights were driving it away. "Then what have you got here?" the Country asked the Town; " There's not a green leaf anywhere, the world is bleak and brown ; I haven't seen a red cheek or heard a woman s laughter; . . I'm going back to Bird Land, but won't you follow after?" The Town rode to tho country, and what did she find there? Just a lot of emptiness, with wild flowers every where. The bird's were screaming overhead, the sun was on her face; The fences were untidy and the brambles a disgrace. "Then what have you got here?" the Town cried in her scorn;.,,.. " I haven't met a four-in-hand or heard a motorhorn. . . « It'll cost a pretty penny to restore my ridingclothes, . . . ' » ~ And my beauty is nigh mined for the freckle on my nose I" " What have I got here? Just azure hills and peace, Green moss and green fern on roads that never cease; And if my heart grows weary of such pleasunngs . as these, There's a baby who comes romping through the nurserv of the trees!" —Lloto Bobebts.