THE ETERNAL CHILDREN
—In and out the sea-side rocks
Some play’d at hide-and-seek.
Glowing garnet, and greenstone,
Amethyst and opal,
Made every pile and peak;
The light, rejoicing at such a road,
In rivers of glory through them flow’d;
Till the little bodies white,
Lurking there behind them,
Were so hidden in rich light,
Shone and shone so out of sight,
Hard it was to find them!
While the seekers, high on crags,
Or deep in cavern’d crypt,
Swinging and clinging,
Perilous adventured—
But none ever slipp’d!
—Here and there, one singly
At a deep secret wrought,
That never fail’d, but out with glee
Soon to his mates was brought.
Oh, the quaint, contrived toy!
Oh, the ringing shouts of joy!
But he that had made it, was no prouder than his brothers:
He that had made it, shared it with his brothers,
Or gave it them, and radiantly
Ran off, to make them others.
And, playing, adventuring,
Alone, or side by side,
No one, I noticed, ever was tired,
123
