At Minas Basin and Other Poems — The Night-Fisher

THE NIGHT-FISHER.

Grey liegeman of sundown and dawn, who chides With a lone song the ocean-murmuring trees, I haste with thee at dusk to stalk the seas Where feed the finny flocks of shepherding tides.

O wild the pulses beat as round us glides The tidal spirit, like a midnight breeze, Burdened with moan of life-and-death decrees,-- The deep night's tide-line pacing with our strides!

More weird than winkings of the ruddy Mars These flitting gleams and breaths of hell and heaven, Searching the shadowy folds 'twixt peace and dread!

-- Nor dreamed I such solemnities did leaven Life's daily meal and league its dole of bread With unseen forces vaster than the stars'.

A DEEP-SEA SHELL.