WHEN I WORE RED SHOES.
Red shoes, red shoes, ye bore me well
Through ferny copse and greenwood dell;
When I career'd in childhood's day
"Over the hills and far away."
Now ye went boldly dashing through
The russet heath still charged with dew;
Now in the orchard ye would be
Climbing the fine, old cherry-tree;
Now ye would tramp the grass about,
To find the scatter'd filberts out;
And now beneath broad boughs ye stopp'd,
To see if plums or pears had dropp'd.
Anon, ye scamper'd hard and fast
After the blue moth flitting past;
Keeping the chase with restless might,
Till quickset barrier check'd your flight.
Red shoes, red shoes, ye come in dreams,
When fond and busy Fancy teems:
Ye fill Life's simplest page I own,
But Memory has turn'd it down.
Ye come with "old familiar faces"—
Ye come with all I cared to lose:
I wake—and count the empty places
Since I wore red shoes.
Through ferny copse and greenwood dell;
When I career'd in childhood's day
"Over the hills and far away."
Now ye went boldly dashing through
The russet heath still charged with dew;
Now in the orchard ye would be
Climbing the fine, old cherry-tree;
Now ye would tramp the grass about,
To find the scatter'd filberts out;
And now beneath broad boughs ye stopp'd,
To see if plums or pears had dropp'd.
Anon, ye scamper'd hard and fast
After the blue moth flitting past;
Keeping the chase with restless might,
Till quickset barrier check'd your flight.
Red shoes, red shoes, ye come in dreams,
When fond and busy Fancy teems:
Ye fill Life's simplest page I own,
But Memory has turn'd it down.
Ye come with "old familiar faces"—
Ye come with all I cared to lose:
I wake—and count the empty places
Since I wore red shoes.
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