Poor little traveller, lost in night! God made a miracle, I know,
To give you life — tears and delight, And ecstasy and ancient woe.
Yet barefoot in the snow you stand, Beseeching bread with shaking hand.
Poor baby, with your wistful face! When you are grown a man, and tall, You'll have the kingly, simple grace, The smile that makes a festival.
Yet from the dark your hungry eyes Behold the cook-shop’s paradise.
Soon amid the inviolable places
Will green, rustling steeples chime again
With the sweet, glassy bell-notes of the wren.
Soon the plain shall lie beneath blue spaces —
Bold and broad and ruddy in the sun,
Long and lean to the moon when day is done.
Soon will come the strange, heart-lifting season When through the dark, still dawns, where nothing was, Steals the mysterious whisper of growing grass;
And a joy like pain possesses the soul, without reason, Between the budding of day and the lapse of night, With the clear, cold scent of wet starlight.
Dawn glimmers white beyond the burning hill Where sunbeams light a fire in every tree.
The morning bird is singing clear and shrill; And oh, my love! when will you come to me?
The daisies whitely sleep beneath the dew; On the wet road the stones are fair to see; Cloudy, the blackthorn floats upon the blue; And oh, my love! when will you come to me?
The wind came walking in the shaken wood; He shouted from the mountains and the sea.
By the pale thorn he paused, in lover’s mood - And oh, my love! when will you come to me?
My heart has blossomed meekly as the thorn; It has its dews, and daisies two or three. The heavens quicken, green as April corn — And oh, my love! when will you come to me?
When autumn winds are on the hill And darkly rides the wasting moon,
I creep within your arms, and still Am safe in the golden heart of June.
Mary Webb was an English novelist and poet of the early twentieth century, born in Shropshire. Her poetry frequently explores themes of nature, spirituality, and rural life. She uses detailed imagery drawn from the English countryside, reflecting her intimate knowledge of the region. Webb's verse is lyrical and often employs traditional forms. Her poetry collection, 'Poems and the Spring of Joy', was published posthumously in 1928. Though better known for her novels, including 'Precious Bane' and 'Gone to Earth', her poetry shares the same intense engagement with landscape and emotion. Webb's work is situated within the tradition of English regional and nature writing. It received renewed attention after her death, partly due to the admiration of Stanley Baldwin. Her writing continues to be studied for its portrayal of rural life and mystical sensibility.
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