Among the Trees Again

Chapter 36: THE FISHER FOLK

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About This Book

A sequence of short lyrical poems evokes rural and coastal scenes and the passage of seasons through attentive images of trees, birds, rivers, gardens, and moonlit hours. Each poem pairs precise natural description with a reflective mood, moving from springtime awakenings and playful vignettes to quieter autumnal and wintry meditations. Recurring motifs include longing for intimate contact with green growth, the music of bird-song and water, and gentle sentiments about memory, friendship, and sympathy. The pieces favor delicate imagery and musical diction, alternating lively observation with contemplative reverie.

THE FISHER FOLK

I know a little village
Where fisher folk abide;
The dark pine woods behind it,
The southern sea beside.

There rosy pink crape-myrtles
In every dooryard grow,
And through the glossy live-oaks
The salt sea breezes blow.

At break of day the fishers
Sail out to sea to reap
The harvest that they sowed not,
The harvest of the deep.

Then, when their nets are emptied,
They set their sails for land,
To heap the shining fishes
Upon the shining sand.

Where little barefoot children
Await them, eager-eyed,
And play the while with sea-shells
Cast upward by the tide.

And all seem so content there,
From worldly care so free,
I would that I could find it,
This secret of the sea!