 | Jones Very : The Complete Poems |  |
The Departure
The tall white cliffs of England fade away,They leave with tears their father land behind;
The monsters of the deep around them play,
And onward swift they speed before the wind.
Backward they gaze, alas! how soon have fled
Their happy homes, green fields, and village spires;
While all around the waves of ocean spread,
As if the grave of all their heart's desires!
Seaward they turn; but lonely, dim, and drear,
The ocean stretches on as without end;
And fancy peoples it with shapes of fear,
And trials hard, with which they must contend;
With many an anxious thought they seek their rest,
Dreaming of home, though tossed on ocean's breast.
Poem No. 476–581; c. 1878–80
| Jones Very : The Complete Poems | |