[Poems by Drake in] The life and works of Joseph Rodman Drake (1795-1820) ::

XXIII

He turns, and lo! on either side
The ripples on his path divide;
And the track o'er which his boat must pass
Is smooth as a sheet of polished glass.
Around, their limbs the sea-nymphs lave,
With snowy arms half swelling out,

161

While on the glossed and gleamy wave
Their sea-green ringlets loosely float;
They swim around with smile and song,
They press the bark with pearly hand,
And gently urge her course along,
Toward the beach of speckled sand;
And, as he lightly leapt to land,
They bade adieu with nod and bow,
Then gaily kissed each little hand,
And dropped in the crystal deep below.

University of Virginia Library

XXIII