San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-22
The Poets Corner
WINTER SCENES.

Sweet Nature lies in placid rest,
And, folded on her quiet breast,
III. tired mother hands.
Inheeding now the ragings wild.
Of Winter King, her far north child,
And his strong icy bands.
Her srystal fountains lie congested,
In glen, and hill, and meadow field,
Amid the withered lands.
Sweetly she lies in restful sleep:
Her green pines in her forests weep,
As the spirit of the King
Moves through their tops and rusheS
past.
Gathering force with every blast;
Their graceful bOughs Quitting
The naked trees stand gaunt and cold
Their garments, blanketing the mold.
he streams run deep and low;
The sturdy boughs bend low with ice
In many a quaint and queer device,
No crystal brooklets flow:
Small hint of all their pearly yield.
AS when they thread the fertile field
Now blanketed with snow.
The glittering hills, the glaring plain,
\ shower of muIti-cOlored rain
Flash back to the smiling sun.
A million brilliants flash in air.
No fairy pageant spread more fair,
Than Winter himself, hath done.
Falls softly, and clearly, the pale gold
light
| rom myriad hosts affair; and bright
The beams of the silver moon.
Down the hills of the countryside,
AID slopes of village streets they glide.
ouths with their hearts of June.
With sparkling eyes, and cheeks aglow.
The happy coasters come and go,
While music floats in tune
With the bells on the broad highway.
Anon some reyel'er joins his lay
10 the shouts of coasters there.
., youth is joyous. youth is sweet:
Lay those pleasures at untried feet,
Md see them meet and fair.
Lake and river, aglow with light,
Add luSter to the silver night.
The lithSOme skaters glide.
They angle, and circle, and bow, and
curve;
And back, and dart, and cross, and
Swerve,
From this TO the farther side.
They couple, and single, and gather IN
files.
There merriment reaches the forest
,aisles,
While down the margins they slide.
Sweet to remember, not sad to leave,
y youth. in thy going We need not
grieve.
Ihe heart grows warm as to thee II
We forget not thy sun, thy moon, nor
stars;
Yet the passing years remove the bars
10 inner and greater things.
The air is chill, and gray. and cold;
Rut gathered safely within the fold
Are little lambs secure.
The mists hang heavy, the shadows
creep;
The faithful guards their visils keep:
The wind a sad tenure
Without, the traveller hOmCward bound
Wraps him more close his cloak around
His bright home lights allure.
Within is shelter, warmth snd food;
The little ones n happy brood
~ sweet content and charm.
The mother crOons n lullaby
While angels guard in seraphy,
The infant on her arm.
In many festive halls of mirth
he children of old mother earth
Make revel gay and long.
Swiftly fade the passing hours.
Mid glaring lights, and scented flowers,
With laughter, and with sorg.
But happier they who in Lcntler ways,
Breath out in love. their quiet days,
Apart from the varied throng
The church bells chime the dying year
.And welcome in, with shout and cheer.
lie untried coming new.
But who hath said of what : gone.
1t is all dead, no more to come"
Hath reCkoned not quite true:
For Memory holds in quiet fold
That such comes back to YOU.
MRS. SABINA L. HOOD.