Going For The Cows.

I.     The juice-big apples' sullen gold,     Like lazy Sultans laughed and lolled     'Mid heavy mats of leaves that lay     Green-flatten'd 'gainst the glaring day;     And here a pear of rusty brown,     And peaches on whose brows the down     Waxed furry as the ears of Pan,     And, like Diana's cheeks, whose tan     Burnt tender secresies of fire,     Or wan as Psyche's with desire     Of lips that love to kiss or taste     Voluptuous ripeness there sweet placed.     And down the orchard vistas he, -     Barefooted, trousers out at knee,     Face shadowing from the sloping sun      A hat of straw, brim-sagging broad, -     Came, lowly whistling some vague tune,      Upon the sunbeam-sprinkled road.     Lank in his hand a twig with which      In boyish thoughtlessness he crushed     Rare pennyroyal myriads rich      In pungent souls that warmly gushed.     Before him whirled in rattling fear     The saffron-bellied grasshopper;     And ringing from the musky dells     Came faint the cows' melodious bells,     Where whimp'ring like a fretful hound     The fountain bubbled up in sound.              II.     Yellow as sunset skies and pale     As fairy clouds that stay or sail     Thro' azure vaults of summer, blue     As summer heavens the violets grew;     And mosses on which spurts of light     Fell laughing, like the lips one might     Feign for a Hebe or a girl     Whose mouth heat-lightens up with pearl;     Limp ferns in murmuring shadows shrunk     And silent as if stunned or drunk     With moist aromas of the wood;     Dry rustlings of the quietude;     On silver fronds' thin tresses new     Cold limpid blisters of the dew.     Across the rambling fence she leaned:      A gingham gown to ankles bare;     Her artless beauty, bonnet-screened,      Tempestuous with its stormy hair.     A rain-crow gurgled in a vine, -      She heard it not - a step she hears;     The wild rose smelt like delicate wine, -      She knew it not - 'tis he that nears.     With smiles of greeting all her face     Grew musical; with rustic grace     He leant beside her, and they had     Some parley, with light laughter glad;     I know not what; I know but this,     Its final period was a kiss.