Poetry Archives

Upon the silver beach the undines dance
  With interlinking arms and flying hair;
  Like polished marble gleam their limbs left bare;
Upon their virgin rites pale moonbeams glance.
Softer the music! for their foam-bright feet
  Print not the moist floor where they trip their round:
  Affrighted they will scatter at a sound,
Leap in their cool sea-chambers, nimbly fleet,
And we shall doubt that we have ever seen,
  While our sane eyes behold stray wreaths of mist,
  Shot with faint colors by the moon-rays kissed,
Floating snow-soft, snow-white, where these had been.
Already, look! the wave-washed sands are bare,
And mocking laughter ripples through the air.