The Coming of Spring

The Coming of Spring written by William Henry Davies

From "The Song of Life", 1920

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How I have watched thy coming, Spring,
  From back in March, thy first-born day,
When smiles, all meaningless and strange,
  Would twist thy face and pass away;
Such as will cross the faces of
Our babes before they grow to love,
  Or wonder at the new-made light -
To this, thy great, all-smiling hour,
  When thou hast soul and sight.

How I have waited for this day,
  When thou, sweet Spring, art three weeks old;
And I can hear that strange, sweet voice,
  To seal the wonder of thy world;
That lifts the heart of old and young
To sing an echo to that song
  Which cries 'cuckoo5 in every grove;
When I, who did but smile before
  Must laugh outright for love.

This work is in the public domain in countries where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or less.