Louder than gulls the little children scream
Whom fathers haul into the jovial foam;
But others fearlessly rush in, breast high,
Laughing the salty water from their mouthes–
Heroes of the nursery.
The horny boatman, who has seen whales
And flying fishes, who has sailed as far
As Demerara and the Ivory Coast,
Will warn them, when they crowd to hear his tales,
That every ocean smells of tar.
(Robert Graves)
More Poetry from Robert Graves:
- A Rhyme Of Friends (Robert Graves Poems)
- The Picture Book (Robert Graves Poems)
- The God Called Poetry (Robert Graves Poems)
- Recalling War (Robert Graves Poems)
- Sullen Moods (Robert Graves Poems)
- The Voice Of Beauty Drowned (Robert Graves Poems)