August 15 to 31

The Dragonfly

Now, when my roses are half buds, half flowers,

And loveliest, the king of flies has come-

It was a fleeting visit, all too brief;

In three short minutes he has seen them all,

And rested, too, upon an apple tree.

There, his round shoulders humped with emeralds,

A gorgeous opal crown set on his head,

And all those shining honours to his breast-

‘My garden is a lovely place’ though I,

‘But is it worthy of such a guest?’

He rested there, upon the apple leaf-

‘See, see,’ I cried amazed, ‘his opal crown,

And all those emeralds clustered around his head!’

‘His breast, my dear, how lovely was his breast-’

The voice of my Beloved quickly said.

‘See, see his gorgeous crown, that shines

With all those jewels bulging round its rim-’

I cried aloud at night, in broken rest.

Back came the answer quickly, in my dream-

‘His breast, my dear, how lovely was his breast!’