Madge sits alone at the close of day
By the edge of the blue lagoon;
Among the reeds the breezes play
A wandering woodland tune.
A magpie lights on a red-gum bough,
And whistles clear and shrill;
The woods with gold and crimson glow
O'er gully, plain, and hill.
The wattle shakes its honey scent
Upon the warm, sweet breeze;
The clematis its drift white tent
Spreads for the roving bees.
Under a log a lizard slips
Quick as a gleam of light.
Madge watches it with parted lips,
And brown eyes wide and bright.
The sun drops in a crimson haze,
The wind grows fresh and cool;
The frogs their long, quaint chorus raise
From creek and marshy pool;
The cricket tunes his tiny trump
As the short twilight falls;
And from the distant willow clump
A lonely curlew calls.
Madge scans the sandy cattle track
Until the cows appear;
She hears her father's stockwhip crack,
Startling the evening air.
The patient cows -- Jess, Meg, and Pearl --
Approach the milking rails,
Where mother and the dairy girl
Wait with the shining pails.
The pageant of the stars unrolled,
Makes the night glow like noon;
The Southern Cross gleams like pure gold,
Gilding the dim lagoon.
Madge from her window waits to see
The stars rise one by one;
Then, with her prayer at mother's knee,
Her day is sweetly done.
First published in Australian Town and Country Journal, 23 March 1901
Author: Robert Richardson (1850-1901) was born in New South Wales and completed a B.A. at the University of Sydney. Best known as a writer for children - and possibly the first Australian born writer to be so titled - he wrote poetry mainly for the Sydney newspapers, especially the Australian Town and Country Journal. He died in Armidale, New South Wales, in 1901.
Author reference site: Austlit
By the edge of the blue lagoon;
Among the reeds the breezes play
A wandering woodland tune.
A magpie lights on a red-gum bough,
And whistles clear and shrill;
The woods with gold and crimson glow
O'er gully, plain, and hill.
The wattle shakes its honey scent
Upon the warm, sweet breeze;
The clematis its drift white tent
Spreads for the roving bees.
Under a log a lizard slips
Quick as a gleam of light.
Madge watches it with parted lips,
And brown eyes wide and bright.
The sun drops in a crimson haze,
The wind grows fresh and cool;
The frogs their long, quaint chorus raise
From creek and marshy pool;
The cricket tunes his tiny trump
As the short twilight falls;
And from the distant willow clump
A lonely curlew calls.
Madge scans the sandy cattle track
Until the cows appear;
She hears her father's stockwhip crack,
Startling the evening air.
The patient cows -- Jess, Meg, and Pearl --
Approach the milking rails,
Where mother and the dairy girl
Wait with the shining pails.
The pageant of the stars unrolled,
Makes the night glow like noon;
The Southern Cross gleams like pure gold,
Gilding the dim lagoon.
Madge from her window waits to see
The stars rise one by one;
Then, with her prayer at mother's knee,
Her day is sweetly done.
First published in Australian Town and Country Journal, 23 March 1901
Author: Robert Richardson (1850-1901) was born in New South Wales and completed a B.A. at the University of Sydney. Best known as a writer for children - and possibly the first Australian born writer to be so titled - he wrote poetry mainly for the Sydney newspapers, especially the Australian Town and Country Journal. He died in Armidale, New South Wales, in 1901.
Author reference site: Austlit
