Poems (Mansfield)/In the Rangitaki Valley
POEMS 1909-1910
IN THE RANGITAKI VALLEY
O valley of waving broom,O lovely, lovely light,O heart of the world, red-gold!Breast high in the blossom I stand;It beats about me like wavesOf a magical, golden sea.
The barren heart of the worldAlive at the kiss of the sun,The yellow mantle of SummerFlung over a laughing land,Warm with the warmth of her body,Sweet with the kiss of her breath.
O valley of waving broom,O lovely, lovely light,O mystical marriage of EarthWith the passionate Summer sun!To her lover she holds a cupAnd the yellow wine o'erflows.He has lighted a little torchAnd the whole of the world is ablaze.Prodigal wealth of love!Breast high in the blossom I stand. 1909.