’Tis glorious morning everywhere
Save where the alleys lie—
I see the fleecy steam jets bid
“Good morning” to the sky.
The gullies of the waratah
Are near, with fall and pool,
And by the shadowed western rocks
The bays are fresh and cool.
To “points” that hint of Italy—
Of Italy and Spain—
I see the busy ferry boats
Come nosing round again.
To the toy station down below
I see the toy trains run—
(I wonder when those ferry boats
Will get their business done?)
Above the Bay called Lavender
This bard is domiciled,
Where up through rich, dark greenery
The red-tiled roofs are piled—
(At least some are—I hope that soon
They all shall be red-tiled)—
A moonlight night in middle-age
That makes one feel a child.
Close over, to the nearer left—
That feels the ocean breeze—
A full moon in a dim blue sky
A church spire and dark trees.
And, further right, the harsher heights
Of Mosman, Double Bay,
And Rose Bay, with their scattered lights,
Have softened with the day.
And fair across to where we know
The shelving sea cliffs are—
The lighthouse, with a still faint glow,
Beneath a twinkling star.
Across the harbour from the right,
And fairly in a line,
The Clock-tower on the City Hall,
A ship-mast and a pine.
The pale and bright, yet dusky blue,
And crossed by fleecy bars,
Flings out the brilliant city lights,
The moonlight and the stars—
And like a transformation scene,
On sheet glass down below,
The fairy-lighted ferry boats
Are gliding to and fro.
In a published book
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Comments
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I felt very relaxed after reading this, it was very lighthearted yet deep and meaningful, very descriptive, the sights and sounds could be imagined, a very atmospheric poem, showing a day in lavender bay, a poem full of passion.......an excellent read, well worth it, thanks
sanity.
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I'll agree with dying star. This poem does suggest serenity in greater heights. I think the narrator has just waken up and he feels the atmosphere with joy and peace in his heart. He wakes up to smell the morning air, the ocean's waves. Then at night, he sees the beautiful moonlight environment. How the ocean looks in the dark--with moon's glistening light upon it. Never too late to say this, I loved the poem. It was a day's comfort for me--as I just woke up.
Amy -
This sets a light mood. Reminding me of Thomas the Tank Engine at the beginning, and then showing the images of houses in the moonlight, the ocean, a lighthouse, a harbour, faries(/ferrys) on the water. It's all very serene and... smooth, for lack of a better word. Normally I don't like nature poems, but this one wasn't bad. I'm all calm now...
Cathy
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