Ecstasy

Ecstasy

by Bert Leach

Oh, life is good when the wild bird sings,

When the soft wind blows, when the child's laugh rings;

Oh, life is good when the bright grass springs

On the brink of the glassy river.

When over the world is the glad sun glowing,

And willows their waving shades are throwing

When the vine bursts bud, and the leaves are growing-

Then life is good if ever.

It is joy to live when the air grows warm,

When geese fly north, and brown bees swarm,

And oaks are in rosy uniform

And maples in robes of green,

When locusts flower in plumes white,

And Judas in purple is well bedight;

Oh, I live-live-live, with all my might,

For life is a joy I ween.

O Spring, I will sing thee; I chant and dance;

I dance for joy, and I chant romance.

My heart and my eye doth the world entrance,

The world and the wild birds wing;

And I fly to a realm that I knew not of,

Of the dogwood bough and the mating dove,

Of the wave- of the woods-of the wind- of love!

Yea, life is a joy in spring.