Classic and Contemporary Poetry
PRELUDE FOR SPRING, by DOROTHY LIVESAY Poet's Biography First Line: These dreams abound Last Line: These dreams abound. Subject(s): Spring | ||||||||
These dreams abound: Foot's leap to shore Above the sound Of river's roar Disabled door Banged and barricaded. Then on, on Furrow, fawn Through wall and wood So fast no daring could Tear off the hood Unmask the soul pursued. Slash underbrush Tear bough and branch Seek cover, rabbits' burrow Hush! He comes. Insistent, sure Proud prowler, this pursuer comes Noiseless, no wind-stir No leaf-turn over; Together quiet creeps on twig, Hush hovers in his hands. How loud heart's thump Persistent pump Sucks down, down sap Then up in surge (Axe striking stump). How breezy breath Too strong a wind Scatters a stir Where feathers are, Bustles a bough. How blind two eyes Shuttling to-fro Not weaving light Nor sight. ... In darkness flow. (Only the self is loud; World's whisperless.) Dive down then, scuttle under: Run, fearless of feet's thunder. Somehow, the road rolls back in mist Here is the meadow where we kissed And here the horses, galloping We rode upon in spring. ... O beat of air, wing beat Scatter of rain, sleet Resisting leaves, Retarding feet And drip of rain, leaf drip Sting on cheek and lip Tearing pores With lash of whip And hoof's away, heart's hoof Down greening lanes, with roof Of cherry blow And apple puff O green wet, sun lit Soaked earth's glitter! Down mouth, to munch Up hoof, to canter Through willow lanes A gold-shaft shower, Embracing elms That lack leaf-lustre And copse' cool bed All lavendered With scentless, sweet Hepatica Till side by side In fields' brown furrow Swathe sunlight over Every shadow! But still On heart's high hill And summit of A day's delight Still will he swoop From heaven's height Soaring unspent, Still will he stoop to brush Wing tip on hair, Fan mind with fear. And now the chill Raw sun Goes greener still The sky Cracks like an icicle: Frozen, foot-locked Heart choked and chafed Wing-battered and unsafe, Grovel to ground! A cry Lashes the sky These dreams abound. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SPRING LEMONADE by TONY HOAGLAND A SPRING SONG by LYMAN WHITNEY ALLEN SPRING'S RETURN by GEORGE LAWRENCE ANDREWS ODE TO SPRING by ANNA LETITIA BARBAULD ODE TO SPRING by ANNA LETITIA BARBAULD SPRING FLOODS by MAURICE BARING SPRING IN WINTER by CHARLOTTE FISKE BATES SPRING ON THE PRAIRIE by HERBERT BATES THE FARMER'S BOY: SPRING by ROBERT BLOOMFIELD |
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