There lay a single piece of straw,
Beneath the pine tree’s shadowed grace,
Where fallen leaves began to draw
The outlines of a lonely place.
The jealous serpents watched the ground,
And slipped into their hollow floor,
While desolation settled round
The pleasures that were here before.
A watchful bird observed the scene,
And greeted games played in the air,
To reach a goal and rest serene
Within a home of peaceful care.
Its feathers caught the sun’s bright gleam,
Like glistening rays of golden light,
To change the system and the scheme
Of gardens arranged for its flight.
