"Song" by Alfred Noyes

Song

by Alfred Noyes

I came to the door of the House of Love
And knocked as the starry night went by;
And my true love cried "Who knocks?" and I said
"It is I."

And Love looked down from a lattice above
Where the roses were dry as the lips of the dead:
"There is not room in the House of Love
For you both," he said.

I plucked a leaf from the porch and crept
Away through a desert of scoffs and scorns
To a lonely place where I prayed and wept
And wove me a crown of thorns.

I came once more to the House of Love
And knocked, ah, softly and wistfully,
And my true love cried "Who knocks?" and I said
"None now but thee."

And the great doors opened wide apart
And a voice rang out from a glory of light,
"Make room, make room for a faithful heart
In the House of Love, to-night."

"After Rain" by Alfred Noyes

After Rain
by Alfred Noyes

Listen! On sweetening air
     The blackbird growing bold
Flings out, where green boughs glisten,
     Three splashes of wild gold.

Daughter of April, hear;
     And hear, O barefoot boy!
That carol of wild sweet water
     Has washed the world with joy.

Glisten, O fragrant earth
     Assoiled by heaven anew,
And O, ye lovers, listen,
     With eyes that glisten, too.

"A Prayer in Time of War" by Alfred Noyes

A Prayer in Time of War
by Alfred Noyes

Thou, whose deep ways are in the sea,
Whose footsteps are not known,
To-night a world that turned from Thee
Is waiting at Thy Throne.

The towering Babels that we raised
Where scoffing sophists brawl,
The little Antichrists we praised
The night is on them all.

The fool hath said . . . The fool hath said.
And we, who deemed him wise,
We who believed that Thou wast dead,
How should we seek Thine eyes?

How should we seek to Thee for power
Who scorned Thee yesterday?
How should we kneel, in this dread hour?
Lord, teach us how to pray!

Grant us the single heart, once more,
That mocks no sacred thing,
The Sword of Truth our fathers wore
When Thou wast Lord and King.

Let darkness unto darkness tell
Our deep unspoken prayer,
For, while our souls in darkness dwell,
We know that Thou art there.

"The Double Fortress" by Alfred Noyes

The Double Fortress

by Alfred Noyes

Time, wouldst thou hurt us? Never shall we grow old.   

   Break as thou wilt these bodies of blind clay,

Thou canst not touch us here, in our stronghold,   

   Where two, made one, laugh all thy powers away.

Though ramparts crumble and rusty gates grow thin,

   And our brave fortress dwine to a hollow shell,   

Thou shalt hear heavenly laughter, far within,

   Where, young as Love, two hidden lovers dwell.

We shall go clambering up our twisted stairs

   To watch the moon through rifts in our grey towers.   

Thou shalt hear whispers, kisses, and sweet prayers   

   Creeping through all our creviced walls like flowers.

Wouldst wreck us, Time? When thy dull leaguer brings   

The last wall down, look heavenward. We have wings.

"Daddy Fell Into the Pond" by Alfred Noyes

Daddy Fell Into the Pond

by Alfred Noyes

Everyone grumbled. The sky was grey.

We had nothing to do and nothing to say.

We were nearing the end of a dismal day,

And then there seemed to be nothing beyond,

Then

Daddy fell into the pond!

And everyone's face grew merry and bright,

And Timothy danced for sheer delight.

"Give me the camera, quick, oh quick!

He's crawling out of the duckweed!" Click!

Then the gardener suddenly slapped his knee,

And doubled up, shaking silently,

And the ducks all quacked as if they were daft,

And it sounded as if the old drake laughed.

Oh, there wasn't a thing that didn't respond

When

Daddy Fell into the pond!

Yes, this is by the same Alfred Noyes who wrote The Highwayman. Isn't it adorable? ;)