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Title: Little Maid-O'-Dreams
Author: James Whitcomb Riley [
More Titles by Riley]
Little Maid-o'-Dreams, with your
Eery eyes so clear and pure
Gazing, where we fain would see
Into far futurity,--
Tell us what you there behold,
In your visions manifold!
What is on beyond our sight,
Biding till the morrow's light,
Fairer than we see to-day,
As our dull eyes only may?
Little Maid-o'-Dreams, with face
Like as in some woodland place
Lifts a lily, chaste and white,
From the shadow to the light;--
Tell us, by your subtler glance,
What strange sorcery enchants
You as now,--here, yet afar
As the realms of moon and star?--
Have you magic lamp and ring,
And genii for vassaling?
Little Maid-o'-Dreams, confess
You're divine and nothing less,--
For with mortal palms, we fear,
Yet must pet you, dreaming here--
Yearning, too, to lift the tips
Of your fingers to our lips;
Fearful still you may rebel,
High and heav'nly oracle!
Thus, though all unmeet our kiss,
Pardon this!--and this!--and this!
Little Maid-o'-Dreams, we call
Truce and favor, knowing all!--
All your magic is, in truth,
Pure foresight and faith of youth--
You're a child, yet even so,
You're a sage, in embryo--
Prescient poet--artist--great
As your dreams anticipate.--
Trusting God and Man, you do
Just as Heaven inspires you to.
[The end]
James Whitcomb Riley's poem: Little Maid-O'-Dreams
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