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The house had gone to bring again
The house had gone to bring again To the midnight sky a sunset glow. Now the chimney was all of the house that stood, Like a pistil after the petals go. The barn opposed across the way, That would have joined the house in flame Had it been the will of the wind, was left To bear forsaken the place’s name. No more it opened with all one end For teams that came by the stony road To drum on the floor with scurrying hoofs And brush the mow with the summer load. The birds that came to it through the air At broken windows flew out and in, Their murmur more like the sigh we sigh From too much dwelling on what has been. Yet for them the lilac renewed its leaf, And the aged elm, though touched with fire; And the dry pump flung up an awkward arm; And the fence post carried a strand of wire.
For them there was really nothing sad. But though they rejoiced in the nest they kept, One had to be versed in country things Not to believe the phoebes wept.
The house had left to return again To the midnight sky a glow of sunset. Now the chimney was all that remained of the house, Like a pistil after the petals have fallen.
The barn stood across the way, That would have burned with the house in flames If the wind had willed it, was left To carry the forgotten name of the place.
It no longer opened at one end For teams that came down the stony road To drum on the floor with hurried hooves And brush the hay with the summer load.
The birds that came to it through the air Flew in and out of broken windows, Their murmur more like the sigh we give From thinking too much about what has happened.
Yet for them, the lilac renewed its leaves, And the old elm, though singed by fire; And the dry pump raised an awkward arm; And the fence post held a piece of wire.
For them, there was really nothing sad. But even though they celebrated the nest they had, One had to know about country life Not to think that the phoebes were crying.