Classic Poem

Farewell, sweet bird, so winsome and so wise!
How oft I saw thee hop along the page
Of classic poet or historian sage,
With thy low note and quick enquiring eyes.
Methinks, — thou wert so fond of ancient lore, —
A classic welcome in the shades below
Awaits thee, now thy learned life is o'er;
To fair Elysian meadows thou shalt go,
A pleasant region without rain or storm;
Perchance, even now, while my fond memory dwells
On all thy quaint, amusing pedantry,
The chirp, the glance, the little saffron form,
From thy small beak old Charon takes a fee,
And leaves thee hopping to the asphodels.