Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, EN TOUR; A SONG SEQUENCE: 5. THE EXILE, by ALBERTA BANCROFT


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

EN TOUR; A SONG SEQUENCE: 5. THE EXILE, by                    
First Line: Lovelier than jewels
Last Line: "on the clear, green seas --"
Subject(s): Exiles


Lovelier than jewels,
Or gold or argentry
Is the little pitcher
I bought upon the quay,
The little pewter pitcher
That lived in Brittany.

I have it here beside me
Upon the kitchen shelf
And it keeps forever whispering
And talking to itself:

"Concarneau and Croissic
And the clear, green seas;
And all the sails skimming in,
Canted in the breeze --"

Yes; I see them coming,
Yellow sails and blue,
Every rakish angle,
With the evening shining through,
Orange sail and raspberry
Sailing pert upon the sea.

Now, I'm asking what the kind
Of people these might be
Who make them sails of yellow
That steal the heart of me --
Sails of blue and yellow
That never had their fellow,
Of raspberry and orange,
To flaunt upon the sea?

But the little, sturdy pitcher
Answers not a word:
I doubt if it were listening
Or if it ever heard.

"Concarneau and Croissic,"
It whispers where it stands,
"Concarneau and Croissic
And the sweet, bare lands;
Concarneau and Croissic
And the long, long quay
And the steeple bells tolling
In the clear, green sea --"

Do I hear a ringing,
Silver, silver clear?
Do I see a spire arise
Out beyond the pier?
At any rate, I see a crowd
That's lounging on the quays --
And might I then be asking
What style of folk are these
Who keep them phantom cities
Tolling in their seas?

But the little pitcher
Standing on my shelf
Never heeds the question,
But whispers to itself:
"Concarneau and Croissic
And the long, long quays
And all the sails slanting
On the clear, green seas --"





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