Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, FRAGRANCE, by EDWARD BLISS REED


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

FRAGRANCE, by                    
First Line: The woodsman loves the smell of pines
Last Line: From the gardens of the sea.
Subject(s): Flowers; Gardens & Gardening; Smells; Odors; Aromas; Fragrances


The woodsman loves the smell of pines,
The mower in the sun
Takes pleasure in the fragrant grass
When the long swath is done.

The ploughman strikes a precious jar
Of ointment for his toil
When all his furrowed field gives forth
The clean smell of the soil.

In May the apple orchards stand
Pale priestesses in white;
Each tree a laden censer bears,
Fit for a queen's delight.

Over the doorway of the house
The honeysuckle clings.
Its fragrance makes the little room
Fit for the court of kings.

But sweeter far than earth or grass,
Than flower or blossomed tree,
Are the odors that the South wind brings
From the gardens of the sea.

They tell of islands, starry skies,
Of waves with crests of snow,
Of leagues of shining waters where
The great ships come and go.

Pleasant the smell of new-mown hay,
And sweet the flowering vine,
But the odor that can stir the heart
Is the keen scent of the brine.

Cassia and aloes, nard and myrrh,
Perfumes of Araby,
I'd give them all for the winds that blow
From the gardens of the sea.





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