The Misanthrope's Wish - An 1855 Poem

By Rose Elwood. For the Chronicle. Bridgeport, July 31st, 1855.

Oh give me a home in some sylvan retreat,

Where the wild flowers spring up for a carpet so sweet;

Where bright birds in branches of evergreen sing,

And the deer and gazelle over underbrush spring.

 

Where all kinds of sweet fruits are tempting the sight,

And the moon softly rides through the star spangled night;

Where sweet-scented zephyrs blow soft through the green,

And breathe to the flowers the sweet tale of their love.

 

While the bright summer sun rode in majesty by,

I'd have for cov'ring the bright azure sky;

And when winter's cold blasts cast a chill o'er my frame,

I'd build me a hut in this fairy-like realm.

 

In this place would I live, each day loving it more,

With no envy to tempt my ambition to soar;

No dome but the trees waving over my head,

And bright birds to mourn for me when I am dead.

August 9, 1855. Belmont Chronicle 7(44): 1, new series.