Poems (Tynan)/Sky-Roses

by Katharine Tynan

SKY-ROSES

Roses in the sky,
 Roses in the sea;
Bowers of scarlet sky-roses,
 Take my heart and me.

God was good to make,
 This December weather,
All His sky a rose-garden,
 Rose and fire together.

To the East are burning
 Roses in a garden,
Roses in a rosy field,
 Hesper for their warden.

Yonder to the West
 Roses all a-fire,
Mirror now some rare splendid
 Rose of their desire.

Pulsing deeper, deeper,
 Waves of fire throb on.
Never were such roses
 At sunset or dawn.

Roses on the hills,
 Roses in the hollow,
Roses on the wet hedges.
 In the shining fallow.

West Wind, blow and blow!
 That has blown ajar
Gates of God's great rose-garden
 Where His angels are,

Gathering up the rose-leaves
 For a shower of roses
On the night the Lord Babe
 His sweet eye uncloses.

All the sky is scarlet,
 Flaming on the azure.
O, there 's fire in heaven!
 Roses for a treasure.

Leagues of rose and scarlet,
 Roses red as blood:
All the world 's a rose-garden.
 God is good, is good.