Poems

Chapter 15: THE OLD COUNTRY

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About This Book

A lyrical collection of short poems that moves between domestic intimacy and mythic or maritime imagery, often meditating on motherhood, childhood, sleep, and loss. The pieces range from direct child songs and brief quatrains to sonnets, hymns, odes, and narrative ballads, and include themed sequences such as child songs and a set of Iseult poems. Language favors simple, musical phrasing and quiet introspection, balancing tenderness and elegy with occasional folktale drama. Recurring motifs of nature, the sea, and longing knit the diverse pieces into a cohesive emotional landscape.

THE OLD COUNTRY

Where’s the land o’ Dreamland?

How should I know?

On the moon’s farther side,

Where the drift clouds ride,

And the stars hang low.

What’s the look o’ Dreamland?

How should I see?

All the air’s silver-gray,

Glinted with star spray,

Here and there a tree.

What’s the sound o’ Dreamland?

How should I hear?

Bell tones from far below,

Night’s haunting cockcrow,

Olden songs and dear.

What’s the speech o’ Dreamland?

How should I say?

Great eyes that fill the heart,

Soft hands that clasp and part,

Calls from far away.

Where’s the gate o’ Dreamland?

How should I tell?

Sudden you stand before,

Slip through the quiet door—

Ah, but all’s well!