HARMONY IN BLUE 



VER my head is a blue sky, at my feet a 

 blue sea, and round me bluebells and the 

 murmur of honey-bees at work in them. 

 The sun is on the cloud even to the horizon, 

 where, in solemn lines, depart the giant rearguards of 

 yesterday's rain ; on the water he twinkles in the 

 million dimples of a laughing ocean; and he is winning 

 the scent from the bluebells, where he dapples their 

 glaucous green and paints the purple of kings on 

 every blossom. This great vision of many blues, 

 high as heaven, remote as the pallor of the horizon, 

 near as the nodding hyacinths — this magic sun-flooded 

 world of aquamarine and amethyst, of turquoise and 

 sheer sapphire where cloud shadows float on the water, 

 rejoices a man's heart despite himself, triumphs over 

 lesser things, rounds the ragged edges of a sorrow, 

 laughs at a fear, offers passing rest and peace, points 

 the lonely road to content. There is sunshine every- 

 where, not to be resisted ; nor does it miss me, 

 for I, too, am part of this unbounded whole ; the 

 red earth whereof I am made is as precious as 

 the red earth of cliffs and precipices ; and I take 

 glory to know that the sun is warming me as gladly, 



79 



