Finis Coronat Opus

Midday blazes, sunbeam bright Gleams upon the fields with light; Golden tint and warm embrace Touch daffodil and Queen Anne’s Lace. What shade settles o’er the earth, Dimming light, dispelling mirth? Look above! The sun’s fair gaze Is lost behind a shaded haze. Even with his face subdued, Hid behind the shadow blue, Fiery rays reach o’er the rim And blaze to life ‘round circle dim.

In misty afternoon, amid The light rainfall on em’rald grass, When past have drifted clouds that hid The sunlight, rays now cast Against the canvas of the sky’s Deep periwinkle-tinted hue, An arch of splendid color bright Clad in the falling dew. Fair bands of crimson, azure, gold, Above the meadow’s dampened ground Cast up toward hazy heav’ns a bow Of glory most profound. Yon’ rainbow shimm’ring in the mist Holds promise ancient as the day When mountains rose and skies were rent -  All rains shall flow away. Destruction lasts but short a time, And rainfall swift and thunders loud May rage until the evening light; Yon’ rainbow gleams in clouds.

In wake of mistral dark and swift, And rains’ torrential pour, That floods the field and fills the ditch And puddles on the moor, A gleaming ray from passing clouds Peeks out from darken’d mist, And pierces through the dimmest shroud To promise sunny bliss. Soon, other beams of sunlit mirth Reach down to fields below, And paint with sparkling dew the turf To verdure better show. Thus, in the wake of thunderstorm, A canvas vast is wrought, And shimm’ring portrait gazed upon Is never swift forgot.