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FATA MORGANA.

A BLUE-EYED phantom far before

Is laughing, leaping toward the sun :

Like lead I chase it evermore,

I pant and run.

It breaks the sunlight bound on bound: Goes singing as it leaps along

To sheep-bells with a dreamy sound

A dreamy song.

I laugh, it is so brisk and gay;
It is so far before, I weep:

I hope I shall lie down some day,

Lie down and sleep.

"NO, THANK YOU, JOHN."

I NEVER said I loved you, John:

Why will you teaze me day by day, And wax a weariness to think upon

With always "do" and "pray?"

You know I never loved you,

John ;

No fault of mine made me your toast:

Why will you haunt me with a face as wan

As shows an hour-old ghost?

I dare say Meg or Moll would take

Pity upon you, if you'd ask :

And

pray

don't remain single for my sake

Who can't perform that task.

I have no heart ?-Perhaps I have not;

But then you're mad to take offence

That I don't give you what I have not got:

Use your own common sense.

Let bygones be bygones:

Don't call me false, who owed not to be true:

I'd rather answer "No" to fifty Johns

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Let's mar our pleasant days no more,

Song-birds of passage, days of youth: Catch at to-day, forget the days before: I'll wink at your untruth.

Let us strike hands as hearty friends;

No more, no less; and friendship's good : Only don't keep in view ulterior ends,

And points not understood

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Quibbles and shuffling off and on :

Here's friendship for you if you like; but love,

No, thank you, John.

MAY.

I CANNOT tell you

how it was;

But this I know it came to pass

Upon a bright and breezy day

When May was young; ah, pleasant May!

As yet the poppies were not born

Between the blades of tender corn;

The last eggs had not hatched as yet, any bird foregone its mate.

Nor

I cannot tell you what it was;
But this I know: it did but pass.
It passed away with sunny May,
With all sweet things it passed away,
And left me old, and cold, and grey.

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