I Meant to Do My Work Today

I meant to do my work today—

 But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,

And a butterfly flitted across the field,

 And all the leaves were calling me. 

And the wind went sighing over the land,

 Tossing the grasses to and fro,

And a rainbow held out its shining hand—

 So what could I do but laugh and go?

 by Richard Le Gallienne