(A BIRTHDAY POEM, WITH ROSES.)
To her whose birth and being
Touch summer out of spring,
These roses, reaching forward
From May to June, I bring.
To her whose fragrant friendship
Sweetens the life I live,
These flowers, Love's message hinting
With perfumed breath, I give.
The violet and the lily
Shall stand for these and those;
But give her roses only
Whose soul suggests the rose,--
Whose Life's idea ranges
Through all of sweet and bright,
A vernal flow of feeling,
A summer day of light.
I bless the child whose coming
Sheds grace around us, where
Her voice falls soft as music,
Her step drops light as air:
Fair grace, to good related
In her, sweet sisters twin;
As in this House of Roses
The fruits and flowers are kin.
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