The Woods of Dandenong

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The Woods of Dandenong (1899)
by Victor James William Patrick Daley
1910892The Woods of Dandenong1899Victor James William Patrick Daley

High, clear and high, the soaring skylark sings
   Love! Love! Love! the joy of life and woe:
Throbs, throbs his heart, as upward on thrilling wings
   Far, far he soars from this dim world below.
Was it a skylark's voice or a soul's triumphant song
We heard in the days gone by in the woods of Dandenong?

Rose, lovely rose—a fairer rose was she —
   Rose, white rose, I kiss your tender leaves!
Speak, speak, speak, O Soul-white rose for me,
   Say, say to her my heart in silence grieves.
Lonely and sad it grieves amidst the careless throng . . .
Ah, green are the waving trees in the woods of Dandenong!

Star, crystal star, shining where angels be,
   Bright, bright star — yet brighter were her eyes —
Ai! Ai! Ai! Star of my life was she!
   Shine, gently shine where low her bright head lies.
And ah, but the world is cold and the way is dark and long;
And oh, that we were once more in the woods of Dandenong.

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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