Poems (Larcom)/Little Nannie

by Lucy Larcom

For works with similar titles, see Little Nannie.

CHILD AND WOMAN.

LITTLE NANNIE.

FAWN-footed Nannie,
 Where have you been?
"Chasing the sunbeams
 Into the glen;
Plunging through silver lakes
 After the moon;
Tracking o'er meadows
 The footsteps of June."

Sunny-eyed Nannie,
 What did you see?
"Saw the fays sewing
 Green leaves on a tree;
Saw the waves counting
 The eyes of the stars;
Saw cloud-lambs sleeping
 By sunset's red bars."

Listening Nannie,
 What did you hear?
"Heard the rain asking
 A rose to appear;
Heard the woods tell
 When the wind whistled wrong;
Heard the stream flow
 Where the bird drinks his song."

Nannie, dear Nannie,
 O take me with you,
To run and to listen,
 And see as you do!
"Nay, nay! you must borrow
 My ear and my eye,
Or the beauty will vanish,
 The music will die."