Rhymes for the Young Folk

Is flung out of fishes' reach;
And the tall ship rolls on the hidden shoals,
And scatters her planks on the beach;
Where slate and straw through the village spin,
And a cottage fronts the fiercest din
With a sailor's wife sitting sad within,
Hearkening the wind and the water's roar,
Till at last her tears begin.

THE BUBBLE

See, the pretty Planet!
Floating sphere!
Faintest breeze will fan it
Far or near;

World as light as feather;
Moonshine rays,
Rainbow tints, together,
As it plays;

Drooping, sinking, failing,
Nigh to earth,
Mounting, whirling, sailing,
Full of mirth;

Life there, welling, flowing,
Waving round;
Pictures coming, going,
Without sound.

Quick now! be this airy
Globe repell'd!
Never can the fairy
Star be held.

Touch'd – it in a twinkle
Disappears!
Leaving but a sprinkle,
As of tears.

NICK SPENCE

Nick Spence, Nick Spence,
Sold the Cow for sixpence!
When his Master scolded him,
Nicky didn't care.
Put him in the farmyard,
The stableyard, the stackyard,
Send him to the pigsty,
And Johnny to the fair!

AMBITION

The Sea! as smooth as silk,
And the froth of it like new milk,
And the sky a wonderful blue,
The cliff harebells have it too,
And scatter'd all over the shore
A thousand Children or more!

Suppose we join, one-will'd,
A City of Sand to build,
With a rampart broad and strong
From rock to rock along,
Solid and firm enough
To last till the sea grows rough
And the days turn chilly and short,
The end of our seaside sport,
When all must bundle and pack
And swift in the train go back,
Big folk and little folk,
To London lamps and smoke?

Let's draw out our plan to-night,
Begin it with morning light.
We'll bring all the Children together
And build in the sweet sunny weather.
What use in a House of Sand?
But a City – that would be grand!
O yes, I am sure it will stand!
And I, who first thought of the thing,
Perhaps they will make me King?

THE BALL

All men, black, brown, red, yellow, white
Are brethren in their Father's sight.
To do each other good is right,
But not to wrangle, steal, or fight.

A thousand millions, young and old,
Some in the heat, some in the cold,
Upon this Ball of Earth are roll'd
Around the Sun's great flame of gold.

And this great Sun is like indeed
One daisy in a daisied mead;
For God's power doth all thought exceed.
And of us also He takes heed.