Traps for mice and snares for birds—
But who can take in a net of words
Fancies in their aery flight
To the crystal height
Of a child's delight?

Now a golden fount of light
Spraying to a rainbow bright,
Then again
Tinkling drops of sunny rain
That turn to flaming butterflies
Ere they reach the earth and rise
In a cloud of changing dyes,
In a cloud that spans the skies
With a fiery flickering bow
Melting into flakes of snow
That falling change to starry flowers—
Flowers that from the earth take flight
Again on wings of singing light—
On and on through endless hours …

Traps for mice and snares for birds—
But empty is my net of words.