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David
by Frances Frost
Only the shepherd boy stays awake
When the sheep lie down and the grasses shake,
And the night bird calls from the hidden brake;
Only the shepherd boy walks to stare
At the arc of space where no clouds fare
While midnight swings through the starry air.
The young lambs stir, and cry in their sleep,
And huddle against the ewes, but keep
Their small eyes closed while the sky is deep;
And the shepherd boy makes a drowsy song,
Tender and slow, and gentle and strong,
That the flock may slumber the whole night long.