Cricket Song

All the Summer as evening hushes
    Daylight songs in silence deep,
Any only the props among the rushes
    Faintly “peep-peep-peep!”
Cheery Cricket is heard in the grasses
Keenly clear as the ringing of glass is,
Singing, “Cheep-cheep-cheep!” 
Chirping, “cheep-cheep-cheep!”

Stars above just dimple the ether,
    Fire-flies wink & dew-drops weep,
And the scolding Katy-dids together
    Their shrewish quarrel keep;
Ever the same is cricket heard in
This his song’s unvarrying burden,
Singing, “cheep! cheep! cheep!”
    Only “cheep, cheep, cheep!”

Then will the naked Winter hinder
    Sorry of kind & tree-toad’s peep,
Tiny frost-clues over the window
Slowly creep, creep, creep!
Wiser than many is cunning Cricket, he
Hides in the hearthstone old & rickety,
Singing, “cheep, cheep, cheep”
    Blithely, “cheep, cheep, cheep!”

When the flame of the oak is roaring
    Up the chimney’s sooty steep,
And merrily Christmas cheer is pouring,
    While the players leap,
Steadily on as never sated
Chirps the Cricket none elated,
Singing, “Cheep! cheep cheep cheep”
Slowly “cheep! cheep! cheep!”

When the flowers of the spent oak thicken
    And the shades like dark wings sweep,
Clearer singing, but never quicker,
    He sings by the mouldering heap;
    Summer or winter in grief or jollity,
Just the same is his music’s quality –
Ever cheap, cheap, cheap
Singing, “cheep, cheep, cheep!”