Hidden by Roses

Where the rustic porch was hidden by roses, red and white,
And honeysuckle laden with wealth of blossoms bright,
And the brier gave its sweetness at the dewy evening hour,
And the violet its perfume to the kissing of the shower;
Where bird and insect singing from the cherry-laden tree,
Were answered from the clover fields by humming of the bee:
Where dozing in the shadow the faithful watch-dog laid,
And flashing through the scented grass the tiny kittens played;
And where life's chain unbroken by loved ones forced to roam,
Shone bright, undim'd by sorrows in the heart's remembered home.

--William H. Bushnell