Poem Sketch in Three Parts

The Rolling in of the Wave It was night when the sky was dark blue And the water came in with a wavy look Like a spider's web. The point of the slope came down to the water's edge; It was green with a fairy ring of forget-me-not and fern. The white foam licked the side of the slope As it came up and bent backward; It curled up like a beautiful cinder-tree Bending in the wind. II The Coming of the Great Bird A boy was watching the water As it came lapping the edge of fern. Little ships passed him As the moon came leaning across dark blue rays of light. The spruce trees saw the white ships sailing away, And the moon bending up the blue sky Where stars were twinkling like fairy lamps; The boy was looking toward foreign lands As the ships passed, Their white sails glittering in the moonlight. He was thinking how he wished to see Foreign lands, strange people, When suddenly a bird came flying! It swooped down upon the slope And spoke to him: "Do you want to go across the deep blue sea? Get on my back; I will take you." "Oh," cried the little boy, "who sent you? Who knew my thoughts of foreign lands?" III The Island They flew as the night-wind flowed, very softly, They heard sweet singing that the water sang, They came to a place where the sea was shallow And saw treasure hidden there. There was one poplar tree On the lonely island, Swaying for sadness. The clouds went over their heads Like a fleet of drifting ships. And there they sank down out of the air Into the dream.