The Red-Bird

Red clouds and reddest flowers,
And now two redder wings
Swim through the rosy hours;
Red wings among the flowers;
And now the red-bird sings.

God makes the red clouds ripples
Of flame that seem to split
In rubies and in dripples
Of rose where rills and ripples
The singing flame that lit.

Red clouds of sundered splendor;
God whispered one small word,
Rich, sweet, and wild and tender--
Straight, in the vibrant splendor,
The word became a bird.

He flies beneath the garnet
Of clouds that flame and float,--
When summer hears the hornet
Hum round the plum, turned garnet,--
Heaven’s music in his throat.