Page:Poems Cook.djvu/292

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THE DEWDROP.
But bills will come at Christmas-tide, alas! alack-a-day!
The creditors may call again, "Papa's not in the way:
He's out of town, but certainly next week he'll call and pay;"
And then his name's in the "Gazette:" and this I mean to say
Oft winds up many gentlefolks, all of the modern time.


THE DEWDROP
The sky hath its star, the deep mine hath its gem,
And the beautiful pearl lights the sea;
But the surface of earth holds a rival for them,
And a lustre more brilliant for me.

I know of a drop where the diamond now shines;
Now the blue of the sapphire it gives;
It trembles—it changes—the azure resigns;
And the tint of the ruby now lives:

Anon the deep emerald dwells in its gleam,
Till the breath of the south wind goes by;
When it quivers again, and the flash of its beam
Pours the topaz flame swift on the eye.

Look, look, on yon grass-blade all freshly impearl'd,
There are all of your jewels in one;
You'll find every wealth-purchased gem in the world,
In the dewdrop that's kiss'd by the sun.

Apollo's own circlet is matchless, they say;
Juno envies its sparkles and light;
For 'tis form'd of drops lit by its own burning ray;
And Olympus shows nothing so bright.

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