All through the tepid summer night

The starless sky had poured a cool

Monotony of pleasant rain

In music beautiful.

And for an hour I sat to watch

Clouds moving on majestic feet;

And heard down avenues of night

Their hearts of thunder beat.

Prodigious limbs, far-veined with gold,

Pulsed fiery life o'er wood and plain,

While, scattered, fell from giant hands

The largess of the rain.

Beholding at each lightning flash

Their generous silver on the sod,

In meek devotion bowed, I thanked

These almoners of God.