Teasdale Songs for mezzo-soprano and piano

I heard a red-winged black-bird singing
Down where the river sleeps in the reeds;
That was morning, and at noontime
A humming-bird flashed on the jewel-weeds;
Clouds blew up, and in the evening
A yellow sunset struck through the rain,
Then blue night, and the day was ended
That never will come again.

Brown-thrush singing all day long
    In the leaves above me,
Take my love this April song,
    "Love me, love me, love me!"

When he harkens what you say,
    Bid him, lest he miss me,
Leave his work or leave his play,
    And kiss me, kiss me kiss me!

I know a certain tune that my life plays;
Over and over I have heard it start
With all the wavering loveliness of violas
And gain in swiftness like a runners heart.

It climbs and climbs; I watch it sway in climbing
High over time, high even over doubt,
It has all heaven to itself -- it pauses
And faltering blindly down the air, goes out.

I asked the heaven of stars
 What I should give my love --
It answered me with silence,
 Silence above.

I asked the darkened sea
 Down where the fishers go --
It answered me with silence,
 Silence below.

Oh, I could give him weeping,
 Or I could give him song --
But how can I give silence
 My whole life long?

I made you many and many a song,
Yet never one told all you are —
It was as though a net of words
Were flung to catch a star;

It was as though I curved my hand
And dipped sea-water eagerly,
Only to find it lost the blue
Dark splendor of the sea.

I cannot be what the sea is
To you who love the sea,
Its ease of empty spaces,
Its soothing majesty;

To the many moods of the ocean
Go back, for here in me
Is only its sad passion
And changeful constancy.

Let it be you who lean above me 
On my last day,
Let it be you who shut my eyelids 
Forever and aye.
Say a "Goodnight" as you have said it
All of these years,
With the old look, with the old whisper 
And without tears.
 ...