Opening
Child Verse: Poems Grave and Gay
CHILD VERSE
Poems Grave & Gay by John. B. Tabb
Small, Maynard & Company. Boston 1900
Copyright, 1899 By Small, Maynard & Company (Incorporated.)
Entered at Stationers' Hall
First Edition (1250 copies) November, 1899 Second Edition (1000 copies) December, 1899
The Rockwell and Churchill Press Boston, U.S.A.
TO MY LITTLE FRIEND Henry Dinneen WITH MY LOVE AND BLESSING
NOTE
Some of these verses have appeared in other places: one in St. Nicholas, one in Harper's Young People; and the Sunday School Times, the Youth's Companion, and the Independent have each published others. To this class belong, I think, all I reprint from my Poems and Lyrics. Most of the contents, however, is new.
J. B. T.
Ring! The little Rabbits' eyes, In the morning clear, Moisten to the melodies They alone can hear.
Ring! The little Rabbits' feet, Shod with racing rhyme, If the breezes they would beat, Must be beating time.
Ring! When summer days are o'er, And the snowfalls come, Rabbits count the hours no more, For the bells are dumb.
AT COCK-CROW
Crow! For the night has thrice denied The glory of the Sun, And now, repentant, turns aside To weep what he has done.
A DUET
A little yellow Bird above, A little yellow Flower below; The little Bird can sing the love That Bird and Blossom know; The Blossom has no song nor wing, But breathes the love he cannot sing.
THE BOBOLINK
Your notes are few, But sweet your song As honey-dew; And all day long, Dear Bobolink, a-listening, I never tire to hear you sing.
THE BLUEBIRD
When God had made a host of them, One little flower still lacked a stem To hold its blossom blue; So into it He breathed a song, And suddenly, with petals strong As wings, away it flew.
THE WOODPECKER
The wizard of the woods is he; For in his daily round, Where'er he finds a rotting tree, He makes the timber sound.
CHIMNEY STACKS
In winter's cold and summer's heat The hospitable chimneys greet Their never-failing guests; For when the sparks are upward gone, The swallows downward come anon, To build their neighboring nests.
BUTTERFLY
Butterfly, Butterfly, sipping the sand, Have you forgotten the flowers of the land? Or are you so sated with honey and dew That sand-filtered water tastes better to you?
THE HONEY-BEE
O bee, good-by! Your weapon's gone, And you anon Are doomed to die; But Death to you can bring No second sting.
THE BEE AND THE BLOSSOMS
"Why stand ye idle, blossoms bright, The livelong summer day?" "Alas! we labour all the night For what thou takest away."
THE TAX-GATHERER
"And pray, who are you?" Said the violet blue To the Bee, with surprise At his wonderful size, In her eye-glass of dew.
"I, madam," quoth he, "Am a publican Bee, Collecting the tax On honey and wax. Have you nothing for me?"
JACK-O'-LANTERN
"Jack-o'-Lantern, Jack-o'-Lantern, Tell me where you hide by day?" "In the cradle where the vapours Dream the sunlit hours away."
"Jack-o'-Lantern, Jack-o'-Lantern, Who rekindles you at night?" "Any firefly in the meadow Lends a Jack-o'-Lantern light."
THE PLEIADS
"Who are ye with clustered light, Little Sisters seven?" "Crickets, chirping all the night On the hearth of heaven."
JACK FROST'S APOLOGY
To strip you of your foliage My spirit sorely grieves; Nor will I in the work engage Unless you grant your leaves.
A CAVALCADE
"Thistle-down, Thistle-down, whither away? Will you not longer abide?" "Nay, we have wedded the winds to-day, And home with the rovers we ride."
SILK
'Twas the shroud of many a worm-like thing That rose from its tangled skein; 'Twas the garb of many a god-like king Who went to the worms again.
SEED-TIME
When Trumpet-flowers begin to blow The Thistle-downs take heed, For then they know 'tis time to go And plant the winged seed.
A LEGACY
Do you remember, little cloud, This morning when you lay-- A mist along the river--what The waters had to say?
And how the many-coloured flowers That on the margin grew, All promised when the day was done To leave their tints to you?
AMID THE ROSES
There was laughter 'mid the Roses, For it was their natal day; And the children in the garden were As light of heart as they.
There were sighs amid the Roses, For the night was coming on; And the children--weary now of play-- Were ready to be gone.
There are tears amid the Roses, For the children are asleep; And the silence of the garden makes The lonely blossoms weep.
LIGHT AND SHADOW
"I love you, little maid," Said the Sunbeam to the Shade, As all day long she shrank away before him; But at twilight, ere he died, She was weeping at his side; And he felt her tresses softly trailing o'er him.
SLEEP
When he is a little chap, We call him Nap. When he somewhat older grows, We call him Doze. When his age by hours we number, We call him Slumber.
THE FIRE-FLY
"Are you flying through the night Looking where to find me?" "Nay; I travel with a light For the folks behind me."
THE DRAGON-FLY
"Is skimming o'er a stagnant pool Your only occupation?" "Ah, no: 'tis at this Summer School I get my education."
ARCHERY
A bow across the sky Another in the river, Whence swallows upward fly, Like arrows from a quiver.
A SPY
Sighed the languid Moon to the Morning Star: "O little maid, how late you are!" "I couldn't rise from my couch," quoth she, "While the Man-in-the-Moon was looking at me."
A LAMENT
"O lady cloud, why are you weeping?" I said. "Because," she made answer, "my rain-beau is dead."
FERN SONG
Dance to the beat of the rain, little Fern, And spread out your palms again, And say, "Tho' the sun Hath my vesture spun, He had laboured, alas, in vain, But for the shade That the Cloud hath made, And the gift of the Dew and the Rain." Then laugh and upturn All your fronds, little Fern, And rejoice in the beat of the rain!
THE BROOK
It is the mountain to the sea That makes a messenger of me; And, lest I loiter on the way And lose what I am sent to say, He sets his reverie to song, And bids me sing it all day long. Farewell! for here the stream is slow, And I have many a mile to go.
AN INTERVIEW
I sat with chill December Beside the evening fire. "And what do you remember," I ventured to inquire, "Of seasons long forsaken?" He answered in amaze, "My age you have mistaken; I've lived but thirty days."
BABY'S DIMPLES
Love goes playing hide-and-seek 'Mid the roses on her cheek, With a little imp of Laughter, Who, the while he follows after, Leaves the footprints that we trace All about the Kissing-place.
A BUNCH OF ROSES
The rosy mouth and rosy toe Of little baby brother Until about a month ago Had never met each other; But nowadays the neighbours sweet, In every sort of weather, Half way with rosy fingers meet, To kiss and play together.
FOOT-SOLDIERS
'Tis all the way to Toe-town, Beyond the Knee-high hill, That Baby has to travel down To see the soldiers drill.
One, two, three, four, five, a-row-- A captain and his men-- And on the other side, you know, Are six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
THE BABY'S STAR
The Star that watched you in your sleep Has just put out his light. "Good-day, to you on earth," he said, "Is here in heaven Good-night.
"But tell the Baby when he wakes To watch for my return; For I'll hang out my lamp again When his begins to burn."
SLUMBER-SONG
Lo, in the west A cloud at rest-- A babe upon its mother's breast-- Is sleeping now.
Above it beams A star that seems To shed the light of holy dreams Upon its brow.
But cloud and star, Tho' nearer far They seem, my Babe, more distant are From heaven than thou.
AN IDOLATER
The Baby has no skies But Mother's eyes, Nor any God above But Mother's Love. His angel sees the Father's face, But he the Mother's, full of grace; And yet the heavenly kingdom is Of such as this.
THE NEW-YEAR BABE
Two together, Babe and Year, At the midnight chime, Through the darkness drifted here To the coast of Time.
Two together, Babe and Year, Over night and day, Crossed the desert Winter drear To the land of May.
On together, Babe and Year Swift to Summer passed. "Rest a moment, Brother dear," Said the Babe at last.
"Nay, but onward," answered Year, "We must farther go, Through the Vale of Autumn sere To the Mount of Snow."
Toiling upward, Babe and Year Climbed the frozen height. "We may rest together here, Brother Babe,--Good-night!"
Then together Babe and Year Slept; but ere the dawn, Vanishing, I know not where, Brother Year was gone!
BICYCLES! TRICYCLES!
Bicycles! Tricycles! Nay, to shun laughter, Try cycles first, and buy cycles after; For surely the buyer deserves but the worst Who would buy cycles, failing to try cycles first.
HIGH AND LOW
A Boot and a Shoe and a Slipper Lived once in the Cobbler's row: But the Boot and the Shoe Would have nothing to do With the Slipper, because she was low.
But the king and the queen and their daughter On the Cobbler chanced to call; And as neither the Boot Nor the Shoe would suit The Slipper went off to the ball.
DOCTOR TUMBLE-BUG
With wondrous skill He works until, To suit himself, he makes it A patent Pill, To cure or kill The sufferer that takes it.
CLOSE QUARTERS
Little toe, big toe, three toes between, All in a pointed shoe! Never was narrower forecastle seen Nor so little room for the crew.
THE TIME-BROOD
I wonder how the mother-Hour Can feed each hungry Minute, And see that every one of them Gets sixty seconds in it;
And whether, when she goes abroad, She knows which ones attend her; For all of them are just alike In age and size and gender.
PAINS-TAKING
"Take pains," growled the Tooth to the Dentist; "The same," said the Dentist, "to you." Then he added, "No doubt, Before you are out You'll have taken most pains of the two."
A RUB
'Twixt Handkerchief and Nose A difference arose; And a tradition goes That they settled it by blows.
CATS
They fought like demons of the night Beneath a shrunken moon, And all the roof at dawn of light With fiddle-strings was strewn.
AN INSECTARIAN
"I cannot wash my dog," she said, "Nor touch him with a comb, For fear the Fleas upon him bred May find no other home."
THE SQUIRREL
Who combs you, little Squirrel? And do you twist and twirl When some one puts the papers on To keep your tail in curl?
And must you see the dentist For every tooth you break? And are you apt from eating nuts To get the stomach-ache?
HOSPITALITY
Said a Snake to a Frog with a wrinkled skin, "As I notice, dear, that your dress is thin, And a rain is coming, I'll take you in."
FROG-MAKING
Said Frog papa to Frog mamma, "Where is our little daughter?" Said Frog mamma to Frog papa, "She's underneath the water."
Then down the anxious father went, And there, indeed, he found her, A-tickling tadpoles, till they kicked Their tails off all around her.
THE TREE-FROG PEDIGREE
Our great ancestor, Polly Wog, With her cousin, Thaddeus Pole, Eloped from her home in an Irish bog, And crossing the sea on the "Mayflower's" log, At the risk of body and soul, Married a Frog; and thus, you see, How we come by a place in the family-tree And the family name, Tree-frog.
AN EXPLANATION
To the young lady Toad said her mother, "How had you the boldness, my dear, To propose to Miss Polliwog's brother?" "Why, mamma," she replied, "'tis leap year!"
THE PARLOUR AND THE FLY
"Will you walk into the Spider?" Said the Parlour to the Fly; "He's the emptiest little spider That ever you did spy.
"And he covers me with cobweb; So I want you to go in; For--his lower chamber furnished-- He will have no room to spin."
NO GO
Said a simpering Butterfly, sipping a rose, To a graceless Mosquito on grandpapa's nose, Whom she hoped to entrap, "Pray come, Sir, and taste of this delicate stuff." "Thanks, Madam, I'm just now taking my snuff," Quoth the impudent chap.
A MOUSE, A CAT, AND AN IRISH BULL
A little mouse nibbled a Limburger cheese, And back to his bedchamber stole, Whence never again was he destined to squeeze, For the smell was too large for the hole.
And a Pussy Cat, passing, instinctively stood; For her appetite urged her to try it; But she answered her stomach that grumbled for food, "I should die if I lived on such diet."
THE SAME WITH A DIFFERENCE
When first they wed he was a sing-er, And much delight his songs did bring her; But nowadays he proves a sin-ger, And makes it hot for her as ginger.
AN INCONVENIENCE
To his cousin the Bat Squeaked the envious Rat, "How fine to be able to fly!" Tittered she, "Leather wings Are convenient things; But nothing to sit on have I."
THE TRYST
Potato was deep in the dark under ground, Tomato, above in the light. The little Tomato was ruddy and round, The little Potato was white.
And redder and redder she rounded above, And paler and paler he grew, And neither suspected a mutual love Till they met in a Brunswick stew.
ETIQUETTE
"I long," said the new-gathered Lettuce, "To meet our illustrious guest." Cried the Caster, "Such haste Is in very bad taste: See first that you're properly dressed."
A SUNSTROKE
The Sun courted Water, Earth's loveliest daughter, And strove to abduct her in vain: For, when he had caught her, And to the clouds brought her, Home she came running in rain.
A SHUFFLE
There was a rumpus in the Pack, Whereof the King and Queen and Jack Were playing knavish parts. On Club and Spade was put the blame; But these asserted 'twas a game Of Diamonds and Hearts.
WASHINGTON'S RUSE
When Georgie would not go to bed, If some one asked him why, "What is the use?" he gravely said, "You know I cannot lie."
PANIC
It struck the signs of the Zodiac, Around the immovable Man Who stands in front of the Almanack To show his interior plan.
The Scorpion attacked the Bull, The Bull aroused the Lion; The Crab by their tails Flung the Fish in the Scales, Where they floundered as on a gridiron; The Billy Goat went for the Gemini twins; The Ram made a rush at Aquarius; And a n_arrow_ escape had the Virgo's shins From the shaft of her beau Sagittarius.
THE END OF IT
A whole-tail dog, and a half-tail dog, And a dog without a tail, Went all three out on an autumn day To follow a red-fox trail.
But the dogs that carried their tails along Fell out, it is said, by the way; And the loss of a tail and a half at the end Of the dogs put an end to the fray.
When each, as a morsel sweet, gulped down What had late been a neighbor's pride, "You've kept your tails," laughed the no-tail dog, "But you wear them now inside."
A LITTLE CHILD'S PRAYERS
I
Make me, dear Lord, polite and kind To every one, I pray; And may I ask you how you find Yourself, dear Lord, to-day?
II
Lord, I have lost a toy With which I love to play; And as you were yourself a boy Of just my age to-day, O Son of Mary, would you mind To help me now my toy to find?
THE CHILD
AT BETHLEHEM
I
Long, long before the Babe could speak, When he would kiss his mother's cheek And to her bosom press, The brightest angels, standing near, Would turn away to hide a tear, For they are motherless.
II
Where were ye, Birds, that bless His name, When wingless to the world He came, And wordless,--tho' Himself the Word That made the blossom and the bird?
III
TO HIS MOTHER
He brought a Lily white, That bowed its fragrant head And blushed a rosy red Before her fairer light.
He brought a Rose; and lo, The crimson blossom saw Her beauty; and in awe Became as white as snow.
A LILY OF THE FIELD
In all his glory, Solomon Was never so arrayed; Yet far more beautiful is one-- A MOTHER and a MAID-- Whose loveliness and lowliness God stooped from highest heaven to bless.
THE LAMB-CHILD
When Christ the Babe was born, Full many a little lamb, Upon the wintry hills forlorn, Was nestled near its dam;
And, waking or asleep, Upon His mother's breast, For love of her, each mother-sheep And baby-lamb He blessed.
A PAIR OF TURTLE-DOVES
THE PURIFICATION
"Where, woman, is thine offering-- The debt of law and love?" "My Babe a tender nestling is, And I the mother-dove."
HIDE-AND-SEEK
You hid your little self, dear Lord, As other children do; But oh, how great was their reward Who sought three days for you!
OUT OF BOUNDS
A little Boy, of heavenly birth, But far from home to-day, Comes down to find His ball, the Earth, That Sin has cast away. O comrades, let us one and all Join in to get Him back His ball.
THE CHILD ON CALVARY
The Cross is tall, And I too small To reach His hand Or touch His feet; But on the sand His footprints I have found, And it is sweet To kiss the holy ground.
THE CHILD
AT NAZARETH
I
Once, measuring His height, He stood Beneath a cypress-tree, And, leaning back against the wood, Stretched wide His arms for me; Whereat a brooding mother-dove Fled fluttering from her nest above.
II
At evening He loved to walk Among the shadowy hills, and talk Of Bethlehem; But if perchance there passed us by The paschal lambs, He'd look at them In silence, long and tenderly; And when again He'd try to speak, I've seen the tears upon His cheek.
ST. THERESA AND THE CHILD
"Who art thou, son?" The little stranger smiled, "And who art thou?" Whereto she made reply, "Theresa I of Jesus am, my child." He--radiant--"Jesus of Theresa I."
TRADITION
When home our blessed Lord was gone, His mother lived alone with John; For each had secrets to impart That Love had taught them both by heart.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:
Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been retained from the original.