|   | 
| THE LINE-STORM clouds fly tattered and swift, |  | 
|   The road is forlorn all day, |  | 
| Where a myriad snowy quartz stones lift, |  | 
|   And the hoof-prints vanish away. |  | 
| The roadside flowers, too wet for the bee, |         5 | 
|   Expend their bloom in vain. |  | 
| Come over the hills and far with me, |  | 
|   And be my love in the rain. |  | 
|   | 
| The birds have less to say for themselves |  | 
|   In the wood-world’s torn despair |         10 | 
| Than now these numberless years the elves, |  | 
|   Although they are no less there: |  | 
| All song of the woods is crushed like some |  | 
|   Wild, easily shattered rose. |  | 
| Come, be my love in the wet woods; come, |         15 | 
|   Where the boughs rain when it blows. |  | 
|   | 
| There is the gale to urge behind |  | 
|   And bruit our singing down, |  | 
| And the shallow waters aflutter with wind |  | 
|   From which to gather your gown. |         20 | 
| What matter if we go clear to the west, |  | 
|   And come not through dry-shod? |  | 
| For wilding brooch shall wet your breast |  | 
|   The rain-fresh goldenrod. |  | 
|   | 
| Oh, never this whelming east wind swells |         25 | 
|   But it seems like the sea’s return |  | 
| To the ancient lands where it left the shells |  | 
|   Before the age of the fern; |  | 
| And it seems like the time when after doubt |  | 
|   Our love came back amain. |         30 | 
| Oh, come forth into the storm and rout |  | 
|   And be my love in the rain. |