Oberon and Puck

Chapter 54: “AS THE CROW FLIES.”

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About This Book

A lyrical volume of poems alternating serious and playful tones, presented in two complementary groupings that range from meditative pieces steeped in faery and classical allusion to lighter, sprightly verse about nature, music, and childhood. Rich natural imagery—woods, flowers, birds, and seasonal change—permeates many lyrics, while occasional elegies and critical tributes honor other artists. Short ballads and children’s songs add narrative and comic sketches, and several occasional pieces contemplate rites of passage and parting. The poems employ varied stanza forms to balance romantic imagination, attentive observation, and gentle humor.

“AS THE CROW FLIES.”

Buccaneer with blackest sails,

Steering home by compass true,

Now that all the rich West pales

From its ingot-hue!

Would that compass in thy breast

Thou couldst lend, for guiding me

here my Hope hath made her nest—

In how far a tree!

Swerving not, nor stooping low,

To that dear, that distant mark

Could I undiverted go,

What were coming dark?

—Careless of the twilight ground,

O’er the wood and o’er the stream

Still he sails, with hollow sound

Strange, as in a dream!