Empty Nests

¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦
¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦

The sun is bright,--the air is clear,
¦¦¦ darting swallows soar and sing.
And from ¦¦¦ stately elms I hear
The bluebird prophesying Spring.

¦¦¦ blue you winding river flows,
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦¦ an outlet from the sky,
¦¦¦¦¦ waiting till the west-wind blows,
The ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ clouds at anchor lie.

All things ¦¦¦ new;--the buds, ¦¦¦ leaves,
That gild ¦¦¦ elm-tree's ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ crest,
¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦ the nest beneath the eaves;--
¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ no birds in last year's nest!

All things rejoice in ¦¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦ love,
The fulness of ¦¦¦¦¦ delight!
¦¦¦ learn from the ¦¦¦¦ heavens above
The ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦ tenderness of night.

Maiden, that read'st this simple rhyme,
Enjoy ¦¦¦ youth, it will not stay;
Enjoy the fragrance of ¦¦¦ prime,
For ¦¦¦ it is not always May!

Enjoy the Spring of Love and Youth,
To ¦¦¦¦ good angel leave the rest;
¦¦¦ Time will teach ¦¦¦¦ ¦¦¦¦ the truth,
There are no birds in last year's nest!


(Blackout of It is not Always May by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)