Juvenile Odes: Song of the Ladybird, Op. 29

I. Song of the Ladybird

1.

o' would you not look at th' golden queen o' dances
th' chandelier sun o' starry spheres
th' hasty flair o' all our passionate glances
an' th' glow an' glimmer o' pale veneers?

o' why not answer th' chime o' midnight's summon
that we play'd with th' copper-bell gong?
o' why not join 'fore it's all's dispers'd an' gone
you know better than to seek us long

o' seek not th' sky for vermillion-dwell'ng stars
they're with us an' we with them
th' palace's empty an' silent's all th' bazaars
th' princely merchants here hunt our silken hem!

o' hear you not th' waltz an' th' din o' th' drum
or was it th' lack o' sprite o' lady-friend?
Fear not th' shade o' th' day; e'en angels succumb
an' from wine here find th' reason an' th' end.

2.

o' seek me not from amidst the glittering crowds
find me not with th' dazzl'd spinners
but from above th' roofs an' espy'ng the clouds
tho' not sinful you find me amongst sinners

o' seek me not with th' pretty knights in th' dark-clad
neither am I with th' fairly tassel'd dresses;
seek me where much pleasure i find amongst th' sad
an' shun th' letters o' common lov's blesses

o' seek me not where th' gilt'd trumpet plays aloud
not from th' hall o' mirrors and th' bright light;
seek me where with th' head in swollen thundercloud
i play th' orchestra an' orchestra plays for my delight!

seek me where th' sky's clear an' clouds abound
where haunts th' spectre o' old words written
seek me where poet an' sage suspire from th' ground
where ocean and i both dream sun-smitten

A brief stab in more experimental vein. Juvenile songs, as in, songs of imaginary youths. We start with the commonplace theme of poetic loneliness.