AT THE SIGH OF THE LYRE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7451, 27 May 1911, Page 9

AT THE SIGH OF THE LYRE

SELECTED VERSE. The Starlings. The starlings they have come to town. With poika dots oil their robes of brown; They sit a crowd on the old plane tree,; And sing this quaint old melody : Creak, creak, pipe, pipe, squeak, squeak, sweet! Thev come with winter snow and sleet— Creak, creak, pipe, pipe, squeak, squeak,, sweet 1 Oh, starling, starling, tell mo true Of pleasant lands that have sheltered! Of running brook and ‘woodland tree!} This is the tale he told to me: Creak, creak, pipe, pipe, squeak, squeak,' sweet! Above the hum of busy street — Creak, creak, pipe, pipe, squeak, squeak, sweet! The starlings all will fly away, _ With-jce and snow on a sunshine • day. Starling, starlidg, do not go! , ; ■ i miss your pretty singing so: ■ - ■ ‘ Chirp, chirp, cheep, cheep, tweet, tweet.) sweet! ' . ~ ; , ’, ’Tis but the sparrows in the street— Chirp, chirp, cheep, cheep, tweet, tweet/ sweet 1 ' In summer, in a woodland glade. When I shall walk all unafraid. Lured by the blossom and the bee. I’ll hear this quaint old melody: ‘ Creak, creak, pipe, pipe, squeak, squeak,) sweet! ' • And echo call from her retreat— Creak,, creak, pipe, pipe, squeak,, squeak, sweet! The starlings they hare come from town. With polka dots on their robes ot brown.; Oh, starling, starling, tell me true. Of city far, now what think you? * Creak, creak, pipe, pipe, squeak, squeak.

sweet! This fine-tele he did repeat— , Creak, creak, pipe, pipe,- squeak, squeak.

sweet! - —Dora Sigerson Shorter, in the May "Windsor.”

A Spring-Song in a Cafe. ft irray, on the table, lay -his hand *\s the root of a tree .in a .barren, land. Or a rope that lowers the dead. ft gray as a gravestone was his head,! And as gray his beard as dusty grain; But his eyes were as gray as the-rain,—) As grav as the rain that warms the snow,; The bridegroom who brings, to the grass below, , A breath of the wedding-day. 0 liis eyes were the gray of a rain in; May •' That shall waken and mate a dead.lfay-i queen, • - Shall marry and quicken a queen of the Mav • When all the graves are green! ' —Witter Bynuer,, in ; "The Forum.”A Song. There’s many a Song that’s never sung,| ■ And/ many a Love unspoken; . .. There’s-, many a-Tear from falseness- • wrung, ' ! ■ And many a Friendship broken: Ding Dong! Here’s a strange Song!' There’s many'a skin too thick to bruise. And many a blow expected; There’s many a Grief too sweet to lose, And many a Joy neglected: Ding Doug! Here’s a .strange Song! There’s many a book, that's never read. And many a rhyme distorted; . There’s many a maid too proud to wed,. And many a wrong one courted: Ding- Dong! ' Here’s a, strange Song! —Ernest Austin, from "Songs froth the Ravel” (Win. Reeves). ■