Maria Gowen Brooks

(1794-1845)

Stanzas

Light lover of each glowing flower
That smiles amid the morning dew,
Go leave me lonely in my bower,
Almora still will live for you.

Be thou the graceful butterfly,
That flutters o'er yon gay parterre,
The changeless amarantha, I
Will wait for thy returning there.

Yes, I will wait, from morn till night,
And only blame my powerless charms
And wish I were the blossom bright
That lures thee from my tender arms.

Yet, sometimes, let soft pleasure's spell
Yield to a friendly thought---Oh! yes,
Sometimes return to me, and tell
How perfect is thy happiness.

In the magnolia's bosom deep
Come tell me how thou wert carest;
Return---thou shalt not see me weep---
All fragrant from the rose's breast.

Recount thy pleasures o'er and o'er;
Not one unkind reproach shall blend,
Or jealous sigh, I'll claim no more---
Too happy still, to be thy friend.

And when the summer's almost past,
And all its madd'ning joys are flown,
And, past its genial warmth, the blast
Around thy wings begins to moan.

Perchance, amid the garden's gloom
Thou'lt see me pensive but unchanged,
And learn to love my lasting bloom
And wish that thou hadst never ranged.