Poems (Trask)/August
For works with similar titles, see August.
AUGUST.
Skies deeply blue as mountain lakes, A languorous atmosphere, Hills bathed in clouds of purple haze And seeming strangely near; Radiant and bright, a ball of fire, The great sun burns with fierce desire On the perfecting year.
The elms droop lazily, scarce stirred By the inactive breeze; The red-winged birds drone dreamily Within their bowers of leaves; While knee-deep in the sluggish brook The cattle stand with drowsy look Beneath the cool, green trees.
The reaper's song rises and falls Along the ripening wold; The wheat-stacks stand like plumed hussars In uniforms of gold; And, far away across the plain, The teamster drives the loaded wain, And whistles all so bold.
Twilight descends, a veil of sweets, Warm with an amber mist; The sunlight and the moonlight Have met in love, and kissed; While, through the soft voluptuous sea Of golden air, the zephyrs free Float wheresoe'er they list.
August! the year's full womanhood! How fast thy glad hours fly! Like all things fair and beautiful, Doomed to grow pale and die! Month of rare flowers and soft-eyed stars, Of greening leaves and wind-guitars, Red moons and purple sky!