She went to gather apple blooms all in the month of May,

An eager child who dearly loved a warm and sunny day -

                    an eager child who dearly loved

                                     a warm and sunny day.

Quite unaware of noise and dust that thinly filled the air

She skipped along the gravel path without a thought or care -

                    she skipped along the gravel path

                                    without a thought or care.

She hummed and smiled, she sang, she laughed, and hastened on her quest

Until she found a tiny bird a-making up its nest –

                    until she found a tiny bird

                                    a-making up its nest.

“Thou pretty thing,” she breathed aloud, and stopped awhile to stare,

Till, adventurous but shy, she crept as close as she would dare –

                    till, adventurous but shy, she crept

                                    as close as she would dare.

The gentle wind bewitched the eaves; the fence was hard and rough,

But long she stayed to watch the bird a-building on the trough –

                    but long she stayed to watch the bird

                                    a-building on the trough.

“You came to gather apple blooms, and whither have you gone?”

The laughing sun enquired as it shone and shone and shone –

                    the laughing sun enquired as it

                                    shone and shone and shone.

She stirred, and stole discreetly from the fascinating  nest,

And once again she hurried on her apple blossom quest –

                    and once again she hurried on her

                                     apple blossom quest.

Cynthia Buell      

age 16