Sleep first, And let the storm and winter do their worst; Let all the garden lie Bare to the angry sky, The shed leaves shiver and die Above your bed; Let the white coverlet Of sunlit snow be set Over your sleeping head, While in the earth you sleep Where dreams are dear and deep, And heed nor wind nor snow, Nor how the dark moons go. In this sad upper world where Winter’s hand Has bound with chains of ice the weary land. Then wake To see the whole world lovely for Spring’s sake; The garden fresh and fair With green things everywhere, And winter’s want and care Banished and fled; Primrose and violet In every border set, With rain and sunshine fed. Then bless the fairy song That cradled you so long, And bless the fairy kiss That wakened you to this-- A world where Winter’s dead and Spring doth reign And lovers whisper in the budding lane. FEBRUARY The trees stand brown against the gray, The shivering gray of field and sky; The mists wrapt round the dying day The shroud poor days wear as they die: Poor day, die soon, who lived in vain, Who could not bring my Love again! Down in the garden breezes cold Dead rustling stalks blow chill between; Only, above the sodden mould, The wallflower wears his heartless green As though still reigned the rose-crowned year And summer and my Love were here. The mists creep close about the house, The empty house, all still and chill; The desolate and trembling boughs Scratch at the dripping window sill: Poor day lies drowned in floods of rain, And ghosts knock at the window pane. THE PROMISE OF SPRING Just a whisper, half-heard, But our heart knows the word; Caresses that seem Like love’s lips in a dream; Yet we know she is here, The desirèd, the dear, The love of the year! In the murmur of boughs, In the softening of skies, In the sun on the house, In the daffodil’s green (Half an inch, half-unseen Mid the mournful brown mould Where the rotten leaf lies) Her story is told. O Spring, darling Spring, O sweet days of blue weather! The thrushes shall sing, Fields shall grow green again, Daisies be seen again, Hedges grow white; Then down the lane, Grown leafy again, Shall go lovers together-- Lovers who see again Sunshine and showers, Perfume and flowers, Dewy dear hours, Dream and delight.