First flower of the warming earth
I rest beside thee on this hillside's girth,
And watch thee dancing in the frenzied breeze
The dazzling sun its rays to please.
It says these days of cold shall cease
Your brilliant bells of radiance shine
And with such silence gloriously chime
Ring in the Spring! Ring out the time!
Adieu mon ami! For auld lang syne!
The past, like a shadow, haunts the day,
Arise, let's climb, and come what may.
In years to come some youthful bard
Will look upon thy pure sweet joy,
And sing that this was as it always was,
But a hope reborn.
Ode to Cycling 