Classic Poem

Goaded and harassed in the factory
—That tears our life up into bits of days
—Ticked off upon a clock which never stays,
Shredding our portion of Eternity,
We break away at last, and steal the key
—Which hides a world empty of hours; ways
—Of space unroll, and Heaven overlays
The leafy, sun-lit earth of Fantasy.
—Beyond the ilex shadow glares the sun,
—Scorching against the blue flame of the sky.
Brown lily-pads lie heavy and supine
—Within a granite basin, under one
—The bronze-gold glimmer of a carp; and I
Reach out my hand and pluck a nectarine.