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| CHEEKS as soft as July peaches; | |
| Lips whose dewy scarlet teaches | |
| Poppies paleness; round large eyes | |
| Ever great with new surprise; | |
| Minutes filled with shadeless gladness; | 5 |
| Minutes just as brimmed with sadness; | |
| Happy smiles and wailing cries; | |
| Crows, and laughs, and tearful eyes; | |
| Lights and shadows, swifter born | |
| Than on wind-swept autumn corn; | 10 |
| Ever some new tiny notion, | |
| Making every limb all motion; | |
| Catchings up of legs and arms; | |
| Throwings back and small alarms; | |
| Clutching fingers; straightening jerks; | 15 |
| Twining feet whose each toe works; | |
| Kickings up and straining risings; | |
| Mother’s ever new surprisings; | |
| Hands all wants and looks all wonder | |
| At all things the heavens under; | 20 |
| Tiny scorns of smiled reprovings | |
| That have more of love than lovings; | |
| Mischiefs done with such a winning | |
| Archness that we prize such sinning; | |
| Breakings dire of plates and glasses; | 25 |
| Graspings small at all that passes; | |
| Pullings off of all that ’s able | |
| To be caught from tray or table; | |
| Silences,—small meditations | |
| Deep as thoughts of cares for nations; | 30 |
| Breaking into wisest speeches | |
| In a tongue that nothing teaches; | |
| All the thoughts of whose possessing | |
| Must be wooed to light by guessing; | |
| Slumbers,—such sweet angel-seemings | 35 |
| That we ’d ever have such dreamings; | |
| Till from sleep we see thee breaking, | |
| And we ’d always have thee waking; | |
| Wealth for which we know no measure; | |
| Pleasure high above all pleasure; | 40 |
| Gladness brimming over gladness; | |
| Joy in care; delight in sadness; | |
| Loveliness beyond completeness; | |
| Sweetness distancing all sweetness; | |
| Beauty all that beauty may be;— | 45 |
| That ’s May Bennett; that ’s my baby. | |
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