I LIFTED mine eyes and beheld him lying, that Harper old, on the green sea-grass,
And I said in my heart, “I will rise and seek a lonelier spot, O mother dear;
For this thy sea and these thy woods, and those thy violet hills and vales.
At the coming of others, estrange from my soul all their low, sweet communings.”
So I arose. Now he spake no word, but he glanced a glance, and his spirit met mine,
And swifter than speech, and surer far, thus he answered my secret thought.
“Avoid not! I hush not her rich revealings, for I am hers, aye, even as thou;
Avoid not, for surely she drew us together, her dearest children, for only this,—
To breathe to us both some tenderer tidings than ever she whispered each soul apart.”
I looked in his face, and I believed the eloquent blue of the old man's eye,
And I knew, by the ruddy rose of his cheek, and the full, white flower of his flowing hair,
A son, indeed, of Nature's love. I looked, and I loved him for her sake,
And returned again to my seat in silence, and side by side on the soft sea-grass,
With the bluest blue of heaven above us, we sat at gaze on the Beautiful Bay.
Gazing, gazing, oh delight! for the sea-turn b'ew from the ocean beyond,
And ever before his full, sweet voice the Arbutus Islands, for utter joy,
Shivered in every sparkling leaf, and called, “He comes!” to the wooing waves.
And these leaped back with a silver laugh, and cried it to all of their crystal clan,
And the white smile spread, and hither and thither, with dark, swift fingers pointed to shore
The wind-flaws darted o'er the dreaming azure, and the ripples danced after in a diamond dance,
And nearer and nearer the rapture ran, till the cool air kissed on the craving cheek.
O breathing balm! O sweet sea-spice! O wind of the west, that most I love!
Now the Sea had risen, and wrestled and lost and wrestled and won with the struggling Shore
For the golden spoils they win and lose with the Moon above for arbitress;
Till only one thin, red torque remained for Ocean's triumphant conquesting.
Then the sea-turn fluttered with fainting wings, fluttered, fluttered, failed, and fell;
And the Sun strode down from mountain to mountain, kissing their foreheads with his farewell kiss
To a happy rose that flushed through heaven, and thrilled and trembled out of sight.
Then the sweet night fell, and the soft stars shone, and we sang, “Good night!” to the Beautiful Bay.