Yet the sea's depths are also mine, And in the old days I used to dive Into the caves, where corals shine And where the shimmering mer-folk live. I am the master of the sea In deeps where fairy flowers uncurl; That treasure-house belongs to me, Those amber halls, those stairs of pearl. But now thereto I go no more, Because of all the argosies, Deep sunk upon the ocean floor, Where all the world's lost treasure lies. Where loveless laughter curls the lips Of wild sea creatures at their sport About the bones of noble ships, My ships, that never came to port. "AND THE RAINS DESCENDED AND THE FLOODS CAME." NOW the far waves roll nearer and more near, The wind's awake, the pitiless wind's awake, It shrieks the menace that I dare not hear, Soon at my feet the angry waves will break In desolating wrath--and here I stand Helpless my house is built upon the sand. O you, whose house upon a rock is set, Laugh, safe and sure, at threatening wave and wind. You chose the better part and yet--and yet, There was no other ground that I could find, And I was weary and I longed to raise A house to guard my shivering nights and days. And it was pleasant in the house I made, While still the floods and winds were held asleep. I blessed it at the dawn, at night I prayed As though its dear foundations had been deep Sunk in the rock. I whispered in surmise, "What if winds never wake, floods never rise?" And now the waves are near and very near, And here I wait and wonder which may be The wave in which my house will disappear, My little house that loved and sheltered me, Where joy still sings, her garland in her hand, Built on the sand, oh God, built on the sand! THE STAR. I HAD a star to sing by, a beautiful star that led, But when I sang of its splendour the world in its wisdom said: "Sweet are your songs, yet the singer sings but in madness when He hymns but stars unbeholden of us his fellows of men; Glow-worms we see and marshlights; sing us sweet songs of those For the guerdons we have to give you, laurel and gold and rose; Or if you must sing of stars, unseen of your brother man, Go, starve with your eyes on your vision; your star may save if it can!" So I said, "If I starve and die I never again shall see The glory, the high white radiance that hallows the world for me; I will sing their songs, if it must be, and when I have golden store, I will turn from the marsh and the glow-worms, and sing of my star once more." So I walked in the warm wet by-ways, not daring to lift my eyes Lest love should drive me to singing my star supreme in the skies, And the world cried out, "We will crown him, he sings of the lights that are, Glories of marshlight and glow-worms, not visions vain of a star!"