Poetry Archives

I am longing to dwell by the sea,
  And dip in the surf every day,
And—height of subaqueous glee—
  With the sharks and the porpoises play.

To novelty ever inclined—
  Instead of a calm evening sail,
’Twould suit my adventurous mind
  To ride on the back of a whale.

I want to disport on the rocks
  Like a mythical mermaiden belle,
And comb out my watery locks,
  Then dive to my cavernous cell.

I want to discover what lends
  Such terror to all timid folks—
That serpent whose mystery tends
  To make one believe it a hoax.

They say he’s been captured at last;
  The news is too good to be true—
He’s slippery, cunning, and fast,
  And likes notoriety too.

Once had I such longings to be
  A sailor—those wishes are o’er,
But ever in dreams of the sea
  My horoscope rests on the shore.

Oh, give me a home by the sea—
  A cottage, a cabin, a tent!
Existence should ecstasy be
  Till summer were joyfully spent.