Wednesday, December 19, 2012


Gone From My Sight

I am standing by the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze
and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength,
and I stand and watch
until at last she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sun and sky come down to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says, ‘There she goes!
Gone where? Gone from my sight – that is all.

She is just as large in mast and hull and spar
as she was when she left my side
and just as able to bear her load of living freight
to the places of destination.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone at my side says,
‘There she goes! ‘ ,
there are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout :
‘Here she comes!’

Henry Van Dyke, 19th century






via Kaari Meng in relation to the Sandy Hook tragedy

1 comment:

ShabbyChicShaz said...

Hi Julie
Nice to see my favourite book - Pride and Prejudice at the top of your page. Just popped by to say hi and thank you so much for the Inspirational Card from the Inspirational Card Deck swap. It's super, love the quote from Henry VI and the Emerson - Earth laughs in Flowers - most appropriate as I love pottering around in the garden
Best wishes for 2013
Love Sharon x