When the Tea-kettle Sings

Sometimes when the tea-kettle sings

I think of life’s most lovely things

Of mint leaves sprouting by the brook

Of poetry sipped from a book

I think of summer garden-strolls

The midnight wind as it cajoles

And vexes poplar tress and thought

I think of spring’s forget-me-not

The laughter of a child at play

The whispering of willow’s sway

The pit-and-patter melody

Of rain and night-song harmony

I see the home-scenes of the past

A farm-girl who grew up too fast

Of kitten's hiding in the loft

With velvet tongues all pink and soft

I think of August's dog-day noon

The sultry haze of locust tune

I hear a tender lullaby
And baby coos of days gone by

Sometimes when the tea-kettle sings

I feel the joy of simple things

A soulful, sweet serenity

When the tea-kettle sings to me

© Janet Martin