Victorian Poems Found

Butler's New American Practical Arithmetic

I seem to be going through a phase of where papers are literally falling out of books. Why can't it be hundred dollar bills? Heck, I'd take tens or twenties at this point. If you remember, just the other week a suicide note fell out of a vintage book that John had bought me and I wrote a blog about it: http://frazzledatforty.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-suicide-note-from-angie.html .

Well last week, John had bought a raggedy 1881 arithmetic book at a yard sale. We were looking at it trying to decide whether to keep it or sell it and out fell two Victorian era poems. It's such a cool experience when something unexpected like this happens. (Although I am still uneasy about the suicide note falling out of the other book.)  

Two lost poems found. 

The poems are not long, just four lines each. They are sweet, but honestly nothing spectacular. Though this doesn't diminish their beauty from a bygone era. The paper is yellowed, and each written in pen and ink. John and I estimated their age to be early Victorian based on the writing style and look of the paper. We believe they were written by a lady as they are reminiscent of the small poems women wrote for pleasure in their free time.

Who was the writer of these short gems? They must have been of some value and meaning for whomever wrote them, tucked them away for safekeeping.  As with the note from the earlier blog, I felt obligated to share them lest they be lost and never seen again.


"February's Garden"

Her garden, February plants
In beds, like brilliants bars,
Upon a field of fadeless blue,
She sows bright stars.


"Christmas Birds"

Dear little birdies, on dear little wings
Hop about chirping, such dear little things
We can't sing carols I just heard one day
But don't we look like Christmas
This Christmas day.

*Bloggers note:  The word "like" before Christmas was crossed off with pencil at a later time. I opted to include it.