THE ETERNAL CHILDREN
Argosies of nautilus, their sails all shimmering full
(Silver silk, o’er hulls of milk),
And Portuguese-o’-war, deep-stain’d
Hyacinth-like, and violet-vein’d,
Some raced in a pure green pool;
These sea-ships sail’d with all their might;
They steer’d themselves, and steer’d quite right;
Below, ran glossy coils of light.
—Others, in sunny shallows
Played with the playing fish;
The fish came pushing against their fingers,
Tame as one could wish;
And their pattern’d sides the Little-Ones petted,
Kind as one could wish.
—Some, very bold, on porpoises
Plunged in and out;
Up went the shining tail,
Down the shining snout,
Down, down, in the cool, cool water—
Then up to the sun, and out!
—Some, riding sea-swallows,
Soar’d in the sky;
How glorious, in those deep blue depths
To swim and swoop and fly!
And the birds would carry them high in the rocks,
To finger their warm eggs,
Or fondle the queer young fluffy birds,
With their real beaks and legs.
122
