Poems (Forrest)/A song

by Mabel Forrest

For works with similar titles, see A song.

A SONG

It costs not much to make a song—
 A petal from an apple-tree
Massed in pale bloom; or, lost among
 The yellow blossom cups, a bee;

A foam of cloud on Heaven's wave;
 A star that one can never touch;
A cricket in his grassy cave—
 The themes for music cost not much.

It costs not much to make a song—
 A red rose on a thorny tree;
A brain to dream a whole day long;
 A soul to feel; an eye to see;

A breath of lavender that floats
 From mossy gardens out of sight;
A bird with summer in its notes;
 A pool of moonshine on the night.

It needs no thews of mighty strength,
 No treasure fund of gold to sink:
. . . Only a pen a dagger's length
 With well of heart's blood for the ink.