Ruth Gaines. I Heard a Flute. Harriet Monroe, ed. Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. 1912-22

Harriet Monroe, ed. (1860–1936). Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. 1912–22.

I Heard a Flute

By Ruth Gaines


I HEARD a flute that sang unto the dawn,
The dawn dove-grey,
Until it flushed to swift desire the wan
White heart of day:

Until it brimmed the virgin-breasted hills	5
With golden fire,
And sang through all the azure-veined rills
Love’s wild desire.

O child heart of the Dawn, who lay so mute
On Night’s dark breast,	10
I saw you quicken to the shepherd flute
Of love’s unrest;

I saw you ravished from your skyey sphere—
Fleet-foot you ran,
Down dryad paths you followed clear	15
The Flute of Pan.