I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazedand gazed but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.


With Apologies to Mr. Wordsworth

You wrote a poem years ago
When lonely as a cloud,
You wandered over vales and hills
And came upon a crowd,

A host of golden daffodils,
That danced beneath the trees
Beside the waves within the bay,
Quite sprightly in the breeze.

You didn't think about it then,
Although you gazed a lot.
You didn't realize at all
The wealth that picture brought.

But afterward in pensive mood,
When on your couch you lay,
In solitude you saw them still
Just like you had that day.

But as for me, I'd rather meet
A colorful display
Of rows and rows of brilliant blooms,
All dressed in bright array.

While gold can be a lovely tint
For any kind of flower,
Why choose just one when you could see
A multicolored bower?

I would be rich in memory
To see a host of hues,
All gathered in a grand bouquet,
And, sir, that's what I'd choose.