The Water Lily
I'd like to be a water-lily, sleeping on the river,
Where solemn rushes whisper, and funny ripples quiver.
All day I'd watch the blue sky - All night I'd watch the black,
Floating in the soft waves, dreaming on my back.
And when I'd tire of dreaming, I'd call a passing fish,
"I want to find the sea!" I'd shout, "Come! You can grant my wish!"
He'd bite me from my moorings, and softly I would slip,
To the center of the river like an ocean - going ship.
The waves would laugh upon me, The wind would blow me fast,
And oh, what shores and wonders would greet as I passed!
Yes, if I were a water lily, I'd sail to sea in state-
A green frog for my captain - and a dragonfly for my mate.
Water Lily by John Chipman Farrah
