Shingle-Short and Other Verses/The Eternal Children
The Eternal Children.
The Eternal Children.
(To Jessie Mackay.)
Where a green mountain-valley
Meets the brave, broad Sea,
I lay.
’Neath freshest blue-and-white
Laugh’d the merry morning light;
The waves flash’d quick and bright,
And the breeze blew free.
Cliffs of buff and rosy clay,
Crests of glowing grass,
Closed the valley, and lock’d it in
With a rocky forest-pass;
Down whose precipice of leaves,
Where Tuis sang,
A happy creek of crystal
Shouting sprang:
Danced by the silver shingles
Of the old, deserted house
(That, satin-shining, peep’d between
A lacy, and light-latticed screen
Of willow-green, apple-green,
And white-blossom’d boughs):
Thence, ’mid bands of yellow blossom,
Gleam’d and slid
In long, blue, smooth loops,
The grassy flats amid.
Oh, glad were the grassy flats,
With the flower’d coat of Spring!
Merry were the many lambs,
Joyously the throstles,
The blackbirds, the bell-birds,
And the meadow-larks did sing!
Oh, blithe were the breezy waters,
Whose year is ever new!—
Gold gloss for them to tread
The broad-beaming sand outspread,
Shot with rose and emerald,
With sheeny bronze and blue.
O’er it, the advancing waves,
Curtseying manifold,
Bended each a brow of snow
O’er a breast of gold;
Gleaming paused....glancing poised....
Then, glittering, onward roll’d.
And far, far beyond them,
In the far fields of air,
—Beyond the sapphire limit,
Whence the quick waves are brought,
Beyond the wall’d-in valley:
Where walls are not:—
Over the sea, one snow-peak
Stood, vision-fair;
Troubled, stain’d, never:
In pure peace for ever:
Half-way up to Heaven,
Like a great white Thought.
There, breathing in the sunshine,
Bathed by the breeze,
Every nerve and sense and pore
Basking, at ease:
Saturate with the beauty
Around, beyond, above:
I lay with my heart in love with life,
And my soul alive with love.
Suddenly, laughter!
Delicate, clear,
Mix’d with the musical
Waves in my ear....
What is it? What is it,
That yonder—Oh, yonder,
Behold the bright wonder!
Yonder swift billow, see! hither it hies....
Over the buoyant blue, creaming it flies,
Out on the glassing sand, gleaming it lies—
Splashing—with voices! flashing—with eyes!
Children, children!
Little and light,
Hitherward bringing—
Laughing and singing,
Leaping and springing,
Bright with delight!
..Who are they? Whence come they? one exquisite moment,
Abroad on the bosoming brink,
Like a flourish of wave-wet shells they lie,
Lustrously white-and-pink—
Then, sudden, before I had well believ’d
Such beauty ever could be,
Scoop! Swoop!....They were swept and swirl’d
Out to the open Sea!
I struggled, but Oh! I could not rise:
Shouted—but I was dumb!....
Look! Look! on yonder crystal column
Hither again they come!
Toss, and twinkle, and sprinkle and spray
Of little white hands in the air,
Glimmer of lily-white limbs, and glamour
Of glistening, glittering hair,
Lifted, lifted....down (O Terror!)
Dash’d in the curdled surge....
Out! on the sand again, safe, with laughter,
See, thank God! they emerge.
And who are these upon the shore
Dimpling and dancing?
Where were these bestow’d before?
Other Little-Ones, more and more,
On the sudden-shining shore
Glinting and glancing.
And what has lighted so the light?
What has wash’d the air?
What has coax’d or chased away
That unguess’d veil between the sun
And this rejoicing day?
How all laughs, everywhere!
Has Earth been going in disguise,
Or am I given new eyes?
Never, never was blue so true,
Never was grass so green;
Never such gold on the water roll’d,
Or lacquer’d the sand and with sheen!
Only the great Sea, jewel-hued,
No way needed to be renew’d;
Brightening the light, that shimmer’d and shone,
Dimpled, dazzled and sparkled on,
And was as it had been.
And, with its waters, unafraid,
Unharm’d, the Little-Ones romp’d and play’d.—
Some went on swimming in and out
With the swimming waves;
Some, rosy in the kissing foam,
White in the rosy caves,
Went, seeking and finding treasures,
Came, running, to compare—
Three there were never alike,
But oft-times a pair:
Gold balls of amber,
Sea-buds and bells.
Bright-branching sea-weeds;
And rare sea-shells—
Bowls of rainbow; mass’d moonlight carven
To coil and column and curl;
Airy, blown-away petals of sunset.
Crocus, violet, flame and scarlet,
Pink, and purple and pearl.
Aquamarine, ultramarine,
Dovecolour, and dun,
Warm white as the white clouds.
Yellow as the sun—
And whole each one!
Slips and slices of ruddy-rich agate,
And blue lapis-lazuli:
Snow-white coral, and bright black jet—
And all of them shone as though they were wet,
When they had long been dry.
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.
—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,
Nobody ever cried.
The shore was merry with movement,
The air tingled with life,
But never a hurt or a tumble came,
And never a sound of strife.
Nothing was there to harm them;
Their world was gentle as they;
The Sun, the Wind, and the shining Sea,
Kind and loving, and full of glee,
Were only there to play.
Fresh as the early morning,
The sight and strength of them was,
And the sound of them sweet as a sweet Spring rain
Upon young growing grass.
The Sun caught never an unkind look,
The bright air never a sigh,
But all was busy frolic, and laughter,
Rapture and revelry.
Now, when the Sun stood near his noon,
Valleyward, up the creek
Turning in bands together,
Somewhat they seem’d to seek.
With bubble and babble and laughter,
The clear creek prattled along;
With babble and bubbling laughter,
The Little-Ones echo’d its song,
As in and out of its shining streams
They flash’d like a bevy of bright white beams.
—They climbed on the rocks, and kiss’d the kind mosses,
That comfort every crack;
To the tall, tall Fern on the Bank they nodded,
And the Kowhai over the track;
A golden smile, and a waft of love.
The Kowhai sent, as she waved above;
The Fern nodded back.
And now they came to a little glade—
About it, the creek’s bright arm was laid,
New-leav’d Ribbonwood sprinkled shade,
And look on the ground!—Oh, ever was seen
Such a wink-and-twinkle of glad young green?
Oh! Oh! what posies.
Violets! Primroses!
Daffodils by the score!
Dandelions—More! more!
—How you do shine,
Little Sun, Celandine!
—A sea of Blue-bells!
Ting-a-ling! how they swing!
The blue air, how it smells!
—Cowslips! Cowslips!
And, cool in the shade,
Next a bold golden King-cup,
A shy Milk-maid!
But when they came to the places
Dappled with dancing Daisies,
With arms flung wide for their fullest hold,
Down in the Daisies they rollick’d and roll’d,
And kiss’d their innocent up-turn’d faces,
So brother-like and bold.
—Why, how came my dullard eye
But now to pass these by?
Nay, how came these
To trip across seas?
Every young eager thing
That loves the young eager Spring,
Mother Earth, in loving mirth,
Seem’d to have summon’d here; and smiled
From them at each happy child.
With shouts of bliss, “See that!” “See this!”
Gathering, gathering,
Round the clearing they sport and spring,
And still as they gather’d, more and more,
Glow’d and glister’d the flowery floor.
Then, out of the creek, with loving and thanks,
They shower’d cool drops on each,
Carried up careful handfuls,
To such as were out of reach—
And ran along further.
Butterflies,
Primrose, crimson, and cream,
Powder’d, purfled, with gold, and some
Pure sea-satin, all silver-blue,
Like fly-away flowers before them flew,
And show’d them the way to come.
And the lambs leap’d with them, the nested Lark
Blithe at their feet did sing,
The Tussock glitter’d, the Locust twitter’d,
The [1]Mako-mak’ pull’d and gave to them
Green feathers from her wing.
Like a lyric, a song, they lilted along,
Like blossoms, they lit their road,
And presently like a freshet of Spring,
Round the desolate house they flow’d.
There in the garden, as though to meet them
Brotherly-wise, to welcome and greet them,
Shining up from its sheath, all new,
Buoyant of curve, brilliant of hue,
Every young leaf had sprung crisp and clean—
A sprightly cresset of gold-and-green,
Strongly held to the burnish’d Blue,
For its light to come leaping through.
Baby bunches of blossom early
Peeped from under them, flush’d and pearly.
—Nothing fresher ever was seen,
Than that world of pink-and-white-and-green,
With the dark of the half-hid rind between,
And over it, high, with cloudlets to fly
And flutter like petals, the blue-and-white sky.
But by what kind miracle,
’Mid all this bloom and budding,
And Spring-flower-flooding,
Came ripe fruit, as well?
Peaches, the colour of sunrise,
Good apples, with firm flesh,
Damsons, raspberries, strawberries,
Oranges, apricots, mulberries,
Plums and nectarines, figs, and grapes,
And round-cheek’d cherries fresh!
Ay, the same beams that maidenly bid
Yon shy little buds from their coverlid,
Here lusty and strong
In an urchin throng,
Juicy clusters and globes amid,
Came roystering, rioting, romping along;
Set black to burning, and brown to blushing,
Crimson to blazing, green to flushing,
Yellow to mellowing, gold to glowing,
Brave hot colour growing and flowing;
And subtly summon’d from all and each
A luscious, delicious perfume rich.
Now, up in the boughs, like blossoms or bell-birds,
Some of the Little-Ones sway;
Some of them down on the grass, like blossoms
Strewn by the breezes stay.
First, a shower of green leaves,
Just for fun.... then,
Pitter-patter, drip-drop,
Fruit in a rich rain.—
And nobody ever was bruis’d,
Nobody miss’d his catch,
Nobody caught too much or too little,
Nobody tried to snatch.
But each, of the dainties delicate,
Enjoyingly, all that he wanted, ate.
Then, out from the garden, in glad carouse,
They set a siege to the silent house;
In at the dusty windows pried,
Loose old latches rattled and tried—
Aha! and presently flicker’d inside!
Warm breath sweeten’d each musty room,
Laughter and dances lit the gloom;
Hunters lurk’d behind every door,
Housekeeping homes divided the floor,
And travelling merchants spread their store.
But soon, these Sunbeams, they miss’d the Sun.
Out! and back to the garden they run;
And out of the garden, and on to the track,
Follow the water, and run along back—
Every step a new pleasure,
At every turn a new treasure,
Till, like the tide, with laughter and glee,
Back they flock to the shore and the Sea.
There, nothing was staled, and nothing was tarnish’d,
Everything still was new;
There still was something to wonder at,
Something to make, discover, or pat,
Something fresh to do.
It was as though the noonday sun
Shone on undrying dew!
Wandering, wondering,
Eager and intent,
Newness awaited them
Everywhere they went;
Newness went with them
Everywhere they went.
And lively, fresh as the morning,
Raced the eager afternoon,
Till suddenly, Lo! the sunset-glow,
And the rising crescent Moon;
And faint and far, one bed-time Star—
Too soon!
No! for as the silent shadows
From the hill began to troop,
Knit in tender knots and clusters,
Warm in many a nestling group,
Curl’d against kind Tussock-cushions,
Cuddled in a sandy scoop:
The Little-Oness nestled together, and clung;
Limbs were loosen’d, and hush’d each tongue;
Long eyelashes hover’d and hung,
And heads began to droop:
As, with a last long kiss, Daylight
Laid them upon the knees of Night,
The nursing knees of Night:
The sunset for their nursery-fire,
The Cross for candle-light,
Then, as the sunset-glamour
Stole from the hill,
Still grew each meadow-lark,
Every lamb still.
As the tranquil twilight
Deepen’d dim,
The last throstle finish’d
His last hymn.
As the still Stars slid out
To the still sky,
Only the Sea sang on
Low lullaby;
The while, like a careful nurse,
All her babes in bed,
With calm, even, strong hand
She swept smooth the printed sand,
Clear’d away the finger’d treasures,
And scatter’d new instead
(Save favourites, tuck’d in crack or cleft—
Those, she left);
Pour’d into the rock-pools
Freshness and food,
Brought supper to the seaweed,
And made all good.
While, through the valley,
In the dusk hid,
The Dews and the Night-wind
Like labour did,
And into the lulled Green-Things
Freshness slid.
So that, after the Silence,
The Dark and the Dew,
The shore and the valley might waken at Dawn again
Perfectly new.
Now, where I holden had been all day,
I still stay’d on,
Watching Dreams glimmer
Where Life had shone,
Musing, pondering,
Wistfully wondering,
And all alone....
When, sudden! a stir beside my feet,
A touch upon my knee,
A little soft hand slipp’d into mine,
Trustfully—
And lo! in the moonlight, a Little-One
Stood, and look’d up at me!
Oh, tenderly the maid Moon
Touch’d, mother-wise,
Dimpled limbs, rounded brow,
And asking eyes!
As into my eager arms
With a happy cry
Up he sprang, a brother Star
Kiss’d either eye!
But, oh! as through my thrilling heart
His sweet warmth stole,
Full Father Sun it was, that rose
In my rejoicing soul!
“Little son, who are you?”
’Mid quick kiss on kiss
I question’d him: “Who are you all?
What place is this?”
Nestling, as to pierce within
Ah! my willing side,
Loving, beloved,
He replied:
“I am but I—the playmate
Of those with whom I play,
And of the Sun, and of the Sea,
And of the shining Day.
But the Day and the Sun, and the singing, shining Sea
Ever say:
‘Be happy! Be happy!
Immortally ye may,
For ever innocent,
Untouch’d, untroubled,
Satisfied, unsated
For ever, laugh and play!
Life cannot break you,
Sin cannot unmake you,
Nor Love forsake you—
Happy every way!
O ye Eternal Children,
Never brought to birth!
Ye Dream-Children, of lovers
Childless upon earth!’”
Son! Little Son indeed! with whose brave eyes
Search you my heart?....
Kind God! can so one little curve of lip
Bridge worlds apart?....
O long-dead lips and eyes!
—O Love that never dies!
Soft on the silent sand,
The full tide spoke;
O’er the waters’ wandering night,
Holy, pure, serene and bright
Broke Heaven’s triumphant light.
—O’er the lone seas of Living,
The bitter seas of Losing,
The cold seas of Longing,
So Love’s light broke!
To the dumb sands of Sorrow
So Love’s full tide spoke!
In the happy valley, weeping,
Smiling—I woke.
- ↑ Mako-mako: The bell-bird.