Page:Backblock Ballads and Later Verses (C.J. Dennis, 1918).djvu/152

Hark, by the seaside yester eve
    I had a wondrous vision.
The sun was just about to leave
    With his well-known precision,
When I espied upon the sand
A tin of a familar brand.

And, as I gazed, my limbs grew limp
    And giddiness came o'er me;
For from it stepped a fish-like imp
    That smirked and bowed before me;
His puckered features seemed to be
Awry with spite and devilry.

"Young man," he said, "You're wasting time.
    Why do you sit there mooning?
So brave a youth, just in his prime,
    Should find more joy in spooning.
For, see! the ocean hath its pearls;
Go forth and mingle with the girls!"

And from the tins that lay about
    Upon the silver shingle
I heard a wee shrill chorus shout,
    "Young man, go forth and mingle!"
And then I knew each empty tin
Concealed its special imp within.