Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, POEM-SKETCH IN 3 PARTS: THE COMING OF THE GREAT BIRD, by HILDA CONKLING


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

POEM-SKETCH IN 3 PARTS: THE COMING OF THE GREAT BIRD, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: A boy was watching the water
Last Line: "who knew my thoughts of foreign lands?"


(Made for the picture on the jacket of the
Norwegian book, The Great Hunger,
by Johan Bojer)

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?"






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