Poems (Chilton, 1885)/Heart's-Ease

by Robert S. Chilton

Layout 2

HEART'S EASE.

 

I went to gather heart's-ease,
 As the day-god sank to rest,—
Drawing all the sheaves of sunlight
 To his garner in the west:
When the blossoms and the leaves,
 Losing all their golden glow,
In the slowly-gathering twilight,
 Faintly fluttered to and fro.

All the ground was starred with May-blooms,—
 Everywhere they met my eye;
But I went to gather heart's-ease,
 So I passed all others by.—
O, my soul was ne'er so joyous
 As it was in those glad hours,
When I wandered, light and careless,
 Near the woodside, plucking flowers.

And I gave them all to you, dear;
 Then I looked upon your face,
And I wondered I could think
 That the flowers had any grace:
Then it was I gathered heart's-ease;
 Then it was, dear heart, I found
That the glory of the May-blooms
 Did not lie ,upon the ground!