The Prophetess

                              1

                'Now shall I sing
                That pretty thing
'The Mocking-Bird'?'—And sing it straight did she.
                I had no cause
                To think it was
A Mocking-bird in truth that sang to me.

                              2

                Not even the glance
                She threw askance
Foretold to me, nor did the tune or rhyme,
                That the words bore
                A meaning more
Than that they were a ditty of the time.

                              3

                But after years
                Of hopes and fears,
And all they bring, and all they take away,
                I found I had heard
                The Mocking-bird
In person singing there to me that day.