THE GARDENS OF THE SEA 



" On the wide marsh the purple-blossomed 

 grasses 

 Soak up the sunshine." — Lowell. 



The sea was at war with the land 

 long ago. The land stretched out an 

 arm to bar its way, but the sea, chafed 

 by the mute resistance, swept on across 

 the beach, clove through the sand-crest 

 where deeply rooted grasses bound the 

 shifting particles, and spread upon the 

 meadows, a salt rime, foaming and 

 raging, until the tree-crowned knolls 

 were islands, and the soil turned to 

 stiff ebon ooze. 



The sea-breeze met the land-breeze, 

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