Reeds of Innocence

By William Blake

1757-1827


PIPING down the valleys wild,
         Piping songs of pleasant glee,
On a cloud I saw a child,
         And he laughing said to me:

'Pipe a song about a Lamb!'
         So I piped with merry cheer.
'Piper, pipe that song again;'
         So I piped: he wept to hear.

'Drop thy pipe, thy happy pipe;
         Sing thy songs of happy cheer!'
So I sung the same again,
         While he wept with joy to hear.

'Piper, sit thee down and write
         In a book that all may read.'
So he vanish'd from my sight;
         And I pluck'd a hollow reed,

And I made a rural pen,
         And I stain'd the water clear,
And I wrote my happy songs
         Every child may joy to hear.

DayPoems Poem No. 438
<a href="http://www.daypoems.net/poems/438.html">Reeds of Innocence by William Blake</a>

The DayPoems Poetry Collection, www.daypoems.net
Timothy Bovee, editor

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