IN PRAISE OF GARDENS 



The Garden in September* 



Now thin mists temper the slow ripening beams 

 Of the September sun: his golden gleams 

 On gaudy flowers shine, that prank the rows 

 Of high-grown hollyhocks, and all tall shows 

 That Autumn flaunteth in his bushy bowers; 

 Where tomtits hanging from the drooping heads 

 Of giant sunflowers, peck the nutty seeds; 

 And in the feathery aster bees on wing 

 Seize and set free the honied flowers, 

 Till thousand stars leap with their visiting: 

 While over across the path mazily flit, 

 Unpiloted in the sun, 

 The dreamy butterflies 



With dazzling colors pondered and soft glooms, 

 White, black and crimson stripes, and peacock 



eyes, 



Or on chance flowers sit, 

 With idle effort plundering one by one 

 The nectaries of deepest-throated blooms. 



With gentle flaws the western breeze 

 Into the garden saileth, 



* Copyright, 1893, The Macmillan Co. 

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