Sweethearts of the Year

Our Sweetheart, Spring, came softly,

Her gliding hands were fire,

Her lilac breath upon our cheeks

Consumed us with desire.

By her our God began to build,

Began to sow and till.

He laid foundations in our loves

For every good and ill.

We asked Him not for blessing,

We asked Him not for pain —

Still, to the just and unjust

He sent His fire and rain.

We prayed not, yet she came to us,

The silken, shining one,

On Jacob's noble ladder

Descended from the sun.

She reached our town of Every Day,

Our dry and dusty sod —

We prayed not, yet she brought to us

The misty wine of God.

The woods were black and crimson,

The frost-bit flowers were dead,

But Sweetheart Indian Summer came

With love-winds round her head.

While fruits God-given and splendid

Belonged to her domain:

Baskets of corn in perfect ear

And grapes with purple stain,

The treacherous winds persuaded her

Spring Love was in the wood

Altho’ the end of love was hers —

Fruition, Motherhood.

We had done naught of service

To win our Maker's praise.

Yet Sweetheart Winter came to us

To gild our waning days.

Down Jacob's winding ladder

She came from Sunshine Town,

Bearing the sparkling mornings

And clouds of silver-brown;

Bearing the seeds of Springtime.

Upon her snowy seas

Bearing the fairy star-flowers

For baby Christmas trees.