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1886–1950

AND A LONG WAY OFF HE SAW FAIRYLAND

William Rose Benét

I lived once with fairies, ( And I know they're true fairies! ) One lifts laughing eyes In a way I most admire.

Truth goes by contraries, For you do n't know they're fairies Till there is n't any firelight, Nor song beside the fire.

One fairy's small to hold, And her hair is fairy gold. One's a feminine fairy With unusual address.

One fairy's just Jim. You just look and love him, With his nonsense and his laugh And his sturdy steadfastness.

And the fairy queen I knew Has eyes that are blue, Has moods that are decided, And courage that denies

It is ever brave at all. She mends them when they fall; She tends the little fairies In absurd, delightful wise.

They bring her thoughts like birds And very funny words And mountainous decisions And things to make you cry.

But, after all, it's airy In the house of a fairy, With a face like that to sob to And those arms close by.

I lived once with a fairy. I was wild and contrary. I'm still wild and contrary. But her heart's a heart for two.

She sees rooms of starry graces, Kind firelight on our faces, And a watch on sleeping fairies, And the fairy home come true.

Once again, with gentle evening And the dreaming trees, come true.

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