The Poetical Works of William Motherwell/The Rocky Islet
The Rocky Islet.
Perchance, far out at sea, thou may'st have found
Some lean, bald cliff—a lonely patch of ground,
Alien amidst the waters:—some poor Isle
Where summer blooms were never known to smile,
Or trees to yield their verdure—yet, around
That barren spot, the dimpling surges throng,
Cheering it with their low and plaintive song,
And clasping the deserted cast-away
In a most strict embrace—and all along
Its margin, rendering freely its array
Of treasured shell and coral. Thus we may
Note love in faithful woman; oft among
The rudest shocks of life's wide sea she shares
Man's lot, and more than half his burden bears
Around whose path are flowers, strewn by her tender cares.