Awaiting Spring

'Tis a ¦¦¦¦ sight
To see the year dying,
When winter winds
Set the ¦¦¦¦¦¦ wood sighing:
¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦

When such a time ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦
I ¦¦¦ retire
¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦
Beside a bright fire:
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦

¦¦¦ there I sit
Reading ¦¦¦ things,
Of knights and ¦¦¦¦ damsels,
While the wind sings—
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦

I never ¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦
¦¦¦ attend ¦¦¦ the blast;
For ¦¦¦ to be seen
¦¦¦ the leaves falling fast:
¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦

But ¦¦¦¦¦ at the hearth,
¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ sit I,
Reading of summer
And chivalry—
¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦

¦¦¦¦ with an old friend
I talk of youth!
How 'twas gladsome, but ¦¦¦¦¦
Foolish, ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦

¦¦¦ to get merry
We sing ¦¦¦¦ old rhyme,
That made the wood ring again
In summertime—
¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦

Then go we ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦
Silent and snug:
Nought passes between us,
Save a brown jug—
¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦

¦¦¦ sometimes a tear
Will rise in each eye,
Seeing ¦¦¦ two old friends
So merrily—
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦

And ere to bed
¦¦¦ we, go ¦¦¦
Down ¦¦¦
We kneel ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦
Praying together!

Thus, ¦¦¦¦¦ live I,
Till, 'mid all the gloom,
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ the ¦¦¦¦ sun
Is with me in the room
Shining, ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦

Then ¦¦¦ clouds part,
¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦
¦¦¦ spring is alive,
And the meadows are green!

I jump up, ¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦
Break the old pipe in ¦¦¦¦¦¦
And away to the ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦
¦¦¦ meadows again!


(Blackout of The Meadows In Spring by Edward Fitzgerald)