An Ode to the Spring As spring returns with blossoms bright, And fragrant apple trees, In family’s shade, we perch in light, To hear the gentle breeze.

With busy bee and chirping bird, The livelies dance all round, In hills and dales, you have heard, Sweet nature’s pleasant sound.

The violets blush, the daisies swell, With every hue and grace, A joy that time can never quell, A smile upon each face.

So let us raise our hearts and sing To this welcome new delight, In every bud, and every spring, O nature, pure and bright!

• Michael Drayton