THE SEA CHILD
Intothe world you sent her, mother,Fashioned her body of coral and foam,Combed a wave in her hair’s warm smother,And drove her away from home.In the dark of the night she crept to the townAnd under a doorway she laid her down,The little blue child in the foam-fringed gown.And never a sister and never a brotherTo hear her call, to answer her cry.Her face shone out from her hair’s warm smotherLike a moonkin up in the sky.She sold her corals; she sold her foam;Her rainbow heart like a singing shellBroke in her body: she crept back home.Peace, go back to the world, my daughter,Daughter, go back to the darkling land;There is nothing here but sad sea water,And a handful of sifting sand.1911.
Intothe world you sent her, mother,Fashioned her body of coral and foam,Combed a wave in her hair’s warm smother,And drove her away from home.In the dark of the night she crept to the townAnd under a doorway she laid her down,The little blue child in the foam-fringed gown.And never a sister and never a brotherTo hear her call, to answer her cry.Her face shone out from her hair’s warm smotherLike a moonkin up in the sky.She sold her corals; she sold her foam;Her rainbow heart like a singing shellBroke in her body: she crept back home.Peace, go back to the world, my daughter,Daughter, go back to the darkling land;There is nothing here but sad sea water,And a handful of sifting sand.1911.
Intothe world you sent her, mother,Fashioned her body of coral and foam,Combed a wave in her hair’s warm smother,And drove her away from home.
In the dark of the night she crept to the townAnd under a doorway she laid her down,The little blue child in the foam-fringed gown.
And never a sister and never a brotherTo hear her call, to answer her cry.Her face shone out from her hair’s warm smotherLike a moonkin up in the sky.
She sold her corals; she sold her foam;Her rainbow heart like a singing shellBroke in her body: she crept back home.
Peace, go back to the world, my daughter,Daughter, go back to the darkling land;There is nothing here but sad sea water,And a handful of sifting sand.
1911.