Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
America: Vols. XXV–XXIX. 1876–79.
Down the Racket
By Alfred Billings Street (1811–1881)D
Oh, how swift we glide!
Every tree and bush and blossom
Mirrored in the tide;
Bright and blue the heaven above us
As—whose azure eye!
Soft and sweet the wandering breezes
As—whose gentle sigh!
White the cloudlet wreathing o’er us
As her spotless brow!
Oh, what king was e’er so joyous
As we roamers now!
Ho, ho, we merrily go
Down the winding, sparkling flow!
Down so cheerily,
Never wearily,
Ho, ho, we merrily go
Down to the lovely lake below!
Off the otter swims!
Round her fortress sails the fish-hawk;
Down the wood-duck skims!
Glitters rich the golden lily,
Glows the Indian Plume,
On yon point a deer is drinking,
Back he shrinks in gloom;
Now the little sparkling rapid!
Now the fairy cove!
Here, the sunlight-mantled meadow!
There, the sprinkled grove!
Ho, ho, we merrily go
Down the winding, glittering flow!
Down so cheerily!
Never wearily!
Ho, ho, we merrily go
Down to the lovely lake below!