Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, VOLKSWISE, by FORD MADOX FORD


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

VOLKSWISE, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: A poor girl sat by a tower of the sea
Last Line: "just a token, just a glimmer of his ship's lant ... Horn?"
Alternate Author Name(s): Hueffer, Ford Hermann; Hueffer, Ford Madox
Subject(s): Man-woman Relationships; Sailing & Sailors; Waiting; Male-female Relations; Seamen; Sails


A POOR girl sat by a tower of the sea
All a-wringing of her hands; "Will he never show," says she,
"Just as a token, just a glimmer of his ship's lant ... horn?"

"Oh, all ye little grains of sand
Twist into a rope shall draw his keel
Hither. Oh, ye little gulls and terns,
Join wings and bear me from this strand
To where I'll feel
His arms, and find where on the foam his ship is borne."

A poor girl sat, etc.
"Oh, all ye little stars o' the night
Come down and cluster in my hair;
Oh, bright night-flashes o' the waves
Shine round me till I'm all one flame of light.
So, far at sea,
He'll deem a beacon beckons him to me. ..."

A poor girl sat nigh a tower of the sea
All a-wringing of her hands; "Will he never show," said she,
"Just a token, just a glimmer of his ship's lant ... horn?"





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