To A Child Poem by Ruth Manning-Sanders

Once in a golden hour
Spring brought a sign to you,
For the dark house door stood open.
And peeping through,
Out of the solemn gloom of the hall, you found
Daisies a-wink in the wind starring the sunflecked ground.

Now has destroying Time
Shut to the heavy door
Against you, little one ;
And the daisied floor.
And tracery of boughs on morning grass
Have silent stol'n away where all things lovely pass.

Yet each returning Spring
Opens with magic key
Time's door, and small within
You stand and see
Where still for sign the daisied track appears,
Spreading its wind-blown white and gold down all the years.