The Coming Of Phoebe

When buckets shine 'gainst maple trees And dropp by dropp the sap doth flow, When days are warm, but still nights freeze, And deep in woods lie drifts of snow, When cattle low and fret in stall, Then morning brings the phoebe's call, 'phoebe, phoebe, phoebe,' a cheery note, While cackling hens make such a rout. When snowbanks run, and hills are bare, And early bees hum round the hive, When woodchucks creep from out their lair Right glad to find themselves alive, When sheep go nibbling through the fields, Then phoebe oft her name reveals, 'phoebe, phoebe, phoebe,' a plaintive cry, While jack-snipes call in morning sky. When wild ducks quack in creek and pond And bluebirds perch on mullein-stalks, When spring has burst her icy bond And in brown fields the sleek crow walks, When chipmunks court in roadside walls, Then phoebe from the ridgeboard calls, 'phoebe, phoebe, phoebe,' and lifts her cap, While smoking Dick doth boil the sap.