The Wonga Vine or Chocolate Bells

Chocolate Bells, rich, rare and fine

Shedding a subtle scent divine,

"Neath the gum trees nodding plumes

And o'er the lichened rocks of gloom.

Fingered leaves, attractive, green

But lend an added charm and sheen

To your sweet flowers, oh Chocolate Bells

Where fairies and the wee folk dwell.

Short is your reign, to make your bow

You grace the spring, art gone ere now

To earths sweet casket, biding there

To come again another year.

Ere yet you passed, how many hours

Did honey suckers sip your flowers?

A mating that Dame Nature needs

Or fertile ne'er would be your seeds.

Still yet your fragrance floats around

While bush-land’s shaded nook's resound

With feathered songsters from afar

What balm to mortal ears they are!

Oh happy, joyous, rapturous spring

What treasures in your hand you bring,

The song of birds, bejewelled flowers

The blissful calm of sunset hours.

And memories of our youth's spring-tide

When hope and joy walked side by side,

And swiftly like a tumbling stream

We built our castles in our dreams.

Came summer with her blazing sun

Ere seemed that youth had yet begun,

And spring, a maiden ever shy

Bid us adieu, with many a sigh.

When autumn with her softened tears.

Is mingling with our passing years

We turn to spring and hope again

To hear the birds in sweet refrain.

Oh Chocolate Bells, sweet Wonga vine

You peal a carol rich, divine.

Of music from your drooping bells

And fragrance wafting o'er the dells.

Thompson Noble.

BULBA. 23.9.32.

This work by Lake Macquarie City Library is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License