Cherry-Time

Portrait of Robert Graves
Robert Graves 1895–1985

Cherries of the night are riper Than the cherries pluckt at noon Gather to your fairy piper When he pipes his magic tune: Merry, merry, Take a cherry; Mine are sounder, Mine are rounder, Mine are sweeter For the eater Under the moon. And you'll be fairies soon.

In the cherry pluckt at night, With the dew of summer swelling, There's a juice of pure delight, Cool, dark, sweet, divinely smelling. Merry, merry, Take a cherry; Mine are sounder, Mine are rounder, Mine are sweeter For the eater In the moonlight. And you'll be fairies quite.

When I sound the fairy call, Gather here in silent meeting, Chin to knee on the orchard wall, Cooled with dew and cherries eating. Merry, merry, Take a cherry; Mine are sounder, Mine are rounder, Mine are sweeter. For the eater When the dews fall. And you'll be fairies all.

Keep reading

Discover more of Robert Graves’s poetry.

Explore all poems

Readers

Reader discussion 1 comment

Add your reading ↓
Readers
1
Longest reading
vanathy14 words
  1. vanathy United Arab Emirates

    it's really good, really! I love it! I can't wait to eat cherries now!!

Your turn

Shown with your comment.

Never published. Only so we can reach you.

Comments are read before they appear. See our terms.