The Secret

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IF I should tell you what I know
Of where the first primroses grow,
  Betray the secrets of the lily,
  Bring crocus-gold and daffodilly,
Would you tell me if charm there be
  To win a maiden, willy-nilly?

I lie upon the fragrant heath,
Kin to the beating heart beneath;
  The nesting plover I discover
  Nor stir the scented screen above her,
Yet am I blind--I cannot find
  What turns a maiden to her lover!

Through all the mysteries of May,
Initiate, I take my way--
  Sure as the blithest lark or linnet
  To touch the pulsing soul within it--
Yet with no art to reach Her heart,
  Nor skill to teach me how to win it!

© Isabel Ecclestone Mackay