Classic Poem

When I was young, I had a bed
That was no bed at all,
But a good great ship with seven masts
And seamen brown and tall.

Each seaman had a lantern white
To light us past the bars,
And all of them knew old sea-songs,
And their eyes were like the stars.

The stars rolled millions overhead,
But seven were made fast,
The brightest and the best of all,
Upon each mighty mast.

Four Captains had my starry bed,
I named them in my prayer,
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
With golden beards and hair.

But the Pilot, whom I loved the best
Because he called me Sir
And played the games I liked to play,
Was good Saint Christopher.

Out we broke our sails which seemed
Like patches that the moon
Makes upon a quiet floor
When crickets sing their tune.

And we were off to seek a Dame
Who would be kind to me
And turn each sailor's heart to gold,
The Lady of the Sea!

I think she lived beyond the place
Where fish grow crowns of gold
And where there are so many tales
That all are never told.

The wind blew very wonderful,
Throwing foam like snow,
Yet always let us hear the call
Of sea-chicks peeping low.

Out the yellow beards all flew
Of Matthew, Luke and John,
But Mark's flew longest of them all
And was coloured like the dawn.

The fish took wing and played about
Each opal sail and sang
Of goose-girls and the currant-fruits
That on the bun-trees hang.

When flowers came above the waves
We knew the port was nigh;
We could see a silver town
Rising up hard by.

Down came our sails, each sailor bowed
And plucked his cap to me. . . .
'Twas day, and there my Mother stood,
The Lady of the Sea!