Noon in Midsummer

The hot sun from his noontime altitude,
     Looks on the fainting earth with burning eye,
     And the still lakes reflect a brazen sky
On which no clou its shadow dare intrude.
Droops the frail herbage in the fiery glare,
     Asking in vain for moisture—and the maize
     Rolls its lithe leaves together, as the blaze
Of Noon pours down, heating the sluggish air,
     And hushing the tired birds among the trees.
     The leaves forget their dances, for the breeze
Hath gone to sleep within the caves of Ocean,
     And a most solemn stillness, which no sound
     Breaks, save the voice of waters, broods around,
While Nature’s heart hath almost ceased its motion.