The House Of Moss

(Built by a Child in a deep Forest.)     How fancy romped and played here,     Building this house of moss!     A faery house, the shade here     And sunlight gleam across;     And how it danced and swayed here,     A child with locks atoss!     I pause to gaze and ponder;     And, whisk! I seem to know     How, in that house and under,     The starry elf-lamps glow,     And pixy dances sunder     The hush when night falls slow.     Oh, that a witch had willed it     That those child-dreams come true!     With which the child-heart filled it     While 'neath glad hands it grew,     And, dim, amort, it builded     Far better than it knew.     For Middleage, that wandered     And found it hidden here,     And, pausing, gazed and pondered     Knowing a mystery near     A dream, its childhood squandered,     Or lost, gone many a year.     Had not Time so distorted     My vision, haply I     Had also viewed, wild-hearted,     Dreams which that child drew nigh,     And to the world imparted     Strange news none dare deny.