At the Seaside ~Robert Louis Stevenson

At the Seaside
~Robert Louis Stevenson
When I was down beside the sea A wooden spade they gave to me To dig the sandy shore. My holes were empty like a cup, In every hole the sea came up, Till it could come no more.

An Alphabet

An Alphabet
~Edward Lear
A A was once an apple pie, Pidy Widy Tidy Pidy Nice insidy Apple Pie! B B was once a little bear, Beary! Wary! Hairy! Beary! Taky cary! Little Bear! C C was once a little cake, Caky Baky Maky Caky Taky Caky, Little Cake! D D was once a little doll, Dolly Molly Polly Nolly Nursy Dolly Little Doll! E E was once a little eel, Eely, Weely Peely Eely Twirly, Tweedy Little Eel! F F was once a little fish, Fishy Wishy Squishy Fishy In a Dishy Little Fish! G G was once a little goose, Goosy Moosy Boosy Goosey Waddly-woosy Little Goose! H H was once a little hen, Henny Chenny Tenny Henny Eggsy-any Little Hen? I I was once a bottle of ink, Inky Dinky Thinky Inky Black Minky Bottle of Ink! J J was once a jar of jam, Jammy Mammy Clammy Jammy Sweety-Swammy Jar of Jam! K K was once a little kite, Kity Whity Flighty Kity Out of sighty- Little Kite! L L was once a little lark, Larky! Marky! Harky! Larky! In the Parky, Little Lark! M M was once a little mouse, Mousey Bousey Sousy Mousy In the Housy Little Mouse! N N was once a little needle, Needly Tweedly Threedly Needly Wisky-wheedly Little Needle! O O was once a little owl, Owly Prowly Howly Owly Browny fowly Little Owl! P P was once a little pump, Pumpy Slumpy Flumpy Pumpy Dumpy, Thumpy Little Pump! Q Q was once a little quail, Quaily Faily Daily Quaily Stumpy-taily Little Quail! R R was once a little rose, Rosy Posy Nosy Rosy Bows-y - grows-y Little Rose! S S was once a little shrimp, Shrimpy Nimpy Flimpy Shrimpy Jumpy-jimpy Little Shrimp! T T was once a little thrush, Thrushy! Hushy! Bushy! Thrushy! Flitty-Flushy Little Thrush! U U was once a little urn, Urny Burny Turny Urny Bubbly-burny Little Urn! V V was once a little vine, Viny Winy Twiny Viny Twisty-twiny Little Vine! W W was once a whale, Whaly Scaly Shaly Whaly Tumbly-taily Mighty Whale! X X was once a great king Xerxes, Xerxy Perxy Turxy Xerxy Linxy Lurxy Great King Xerxes! Y Y was once a little yew, Yewdy Fewdy Crudy Yewdy Growdy, grewdy, Little Yew! Z Z was once a piece of zinc, Tinky Winky Blinky Tinky Tinkly Minky Piece of Zinc!

All Things Bright and Beautiful

All Things Bright and Beautiful
~Cecil Frances Alexander
All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all. Each little flower that opens, Each little bird that sings, He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings. The purple-headed mountain, The river running by, The sunset, and the morning, That brightens up the sky; The cold wind in the winter, The pleasant summer sun, The ripe fruits in the garden, He made them every one. He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell, How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well.

A Light Exists in Spring

A Light Exists in Spring
~Emily Dickinson
A Light exists in Spring Not present on the Year At any other period -- When March is scarcely here A Color stands abroad On Solitary Fields That Science cannot overtake But Human Nature feels. It waits upon the Lawn, It shows the furthest Tree Upon the furthest Slope you know It almost speaks to you. Then as Horizons step Or Noons report away Without the Formula of sound It passes and we stay -- A quality of loss Affecting our Content As Trade had suddenly encroached Upon a Sacrament.

Above the Bright Blue Sky

Above the Bright Blue Sky
~Albert Midlane
There's a Friend for little children Above the bright blue sky, A Friend who never changes Whose love will never die; Our earthly friends may fail us, And change with changing years, This Friend is always worthy Of that dear name he bears. There's a home for little children Above the bright blue sky, Where Jesus reigns in glory, A home of peace and joy; No home on earth is like it, Nor can with it compare; And everyone is happy, Nor could be happier there.

The Division of the World

The Division of the World

“Take thence the world!” call’d Zeus from his high summit
To all mankind. “Take, that which yours should be.
As heritage eterne to you I grant it—”
Divide it ye, yet brotherly!”

Then did all hands to preparations scurry,
Both young and old industrious became.
The farmer seiz’d the produce from the country,
The Junker through the woods stalk’d game.

The merchant in his stores had riches hoarded,
The abbot chose the noble vintage wine,
The king had all the roads and bridges boarded
And claim’d: “the tithe of all is mine.”

Quite late, just as division was accomplish’d
The poet near’d, he came from far away—”
Ah! nothing more remain’d to be distinguish’d
A lord o’er everything had sway!

“Ah! Woe is me! for why should I then solely
Forgotten be, I, thy most faithful son?”
Thus did he make his accusation loudly
And threw himself fore Jove’s high throne.

“If thou to dwell in dreamland have decided,”
Replied the god, “then quarrel not with me.
Where wert thou then, when I the world divided?”
“I was,“ the poet said, “by thee.”

“Mine eyes did hang on thy expression,
Upon they heaven’s harmony my ear—”
Forgive the spirit, which, by thy reflection
Enrapt, did lose the earthly sphere.”

“What can be done?“ said Zeus, “for all is given;
The crops, the hunt, the marts are no more free.
Wouldst thou abide with me within my heaven—”
Whene’er thou com’st, ’twill open be to thee.”

The Sweetest Gift

The Sweetest Gift
~ J.B.Coats 1942 ~

One day a mother went to a prison
To see an erring but precious son.
She told the warden how much she loved him.
It did not matter what he had done.

She did not bring to him a parole or pardon free.
Brought no gold, no pomp or style to see.
It was a halo bright, sent down from heaven's light,
The sweetest gift -- a mother's smile.

She left a smile you can remember.
She's gone to heaven, from heartaches free.
Those walls around you could never change her.
You were her baby, and 'ere will be.

Ode to Joy

Ode to Joy
Anonymous

Wild and fearful in his cavern
Hid the naked troglodyte,
And the homeless nomad wandered
Laying waste the fertile plain.
Menacing with spear and arrow
In the woods the hunter strayed ...
Woe to all poor wreteches stranded
On those cruel and hostile shores!

From the peak of high Olympus
Came the mother Ceres down,
Seeeking in those savage regions
Her lost daughter Prosperine.
But the Goddess found no refuge,
Found no kindly welcome there,
And no temple bearing witness
To the worship of the gods.

From the fields and from the vineyards
Came no fruit to deck the feasts,
Only flesh of blood-stained victims
Smouldered on the alter-fires,
And where'er the grieving goddess
Turns her melancholy gaze,
Sunk in vilest degradation
Man his loathsomeness displays.

Would he purge his soul from vileness
And attain to light and worth,
He must turn and cling forever
To his ancient Mother Earth.

Joy everlasting fostereth
The soul of all creation,
It is her secret ferment fires
The cup of life with flame.
'Tis at her beck the grass hath turned
Each blade toward the light
and solar systems have evolved
From chaos and dark night,
Filling the realms of boundless space
Beyond the sage's sight.

At bounteous nature's kindly breast,
All things that breath drink Joy,
And bird and beasts and creaping things
All follow where she leads.
Her gifts to man are friends in need,
The wreath, the foaming must,
To angels -- visions of God's throne,
To insects -- sensual lust.