Reely's Poetry Blog

by ETHEL CASTILLA (1861-19??)

     "She's pretty to walk with,
      And witty to talk with,
      And pleasant, too, to think on."
                     Sir John Suckling

She has a beauty of her own,
A beauty of a paler tone
  Than English belles;
Yet southern sun and southern air
Have kissed her cheeks, until they wear
The dainty tints that oft appear
  On rosy shells.

Her frank, clear eyes bespeak a mind
Old-world traditions fail to bind.
  She is not shy
Or bold, but simply self-possess ed;
Her independence  adds a zest
Unto her speech, her piquant jest,
  Her quaint reply.

O'er classic volumes she will pore
With joy; and true scholastic lore
  Will often gain.
In sports she bears away the bell,
Nor, under music's siren spell,
To dance divinely, flirt as well,
  Does she disdain.