Sea-Shell Murmurs

The hollow sea-shell, which for years hath stood
On dusty shelves, when held against the ear
Proclaims its stormy parents; and we hear
The faint far murmur of the breaking flood.
We hear the sea. The sea? It is the blood
In our own veins, impetuous and near,
And pulses keeping pace with hope and fear
And with our feeling’s every shifting mood.
Lo, in my heart I hear, as in a shell,
The murmur of a world beyond the grave,
Distinct, distinct, though faint and far it be.
Thou fool; this echo is a cheat as well,—
The hum of earthly instincts; and we crave
A world unreal as the shell-heard sea.

Eugene Lee-Hamilton

Stars 

The shining stars, sparkling in the night,

Swelling bigger than the sun.

Setting far out in the distance,
Still bright against the shimmering lake,
Seeming like an endless sea,

Swiftly flowing, wave upon wave,

Stirring life in the depths below

Sweet with accompanying daytime breeze,

Streaming in from broad horizon, 

Still keeping light from up above, 

And sailing in on little whisks

Illuminating life below.

Nikai Boyarko