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Their happy hair flutters and flies； or curtains their laughing faces
Faces glad as the sun at dawn。
Their clear； cool skin is like wine to the eyes；
The lines of their fluent limbs run like a song；
And every step is a note of grace which the frock repeats。
Don't you think it a pity； and greatly to be deplored
That these should lose this beauty；
And pass from it to the guile and trickery of woman？
Of Shop Windows
Looking closely at the glass windows of my shop；
I see in them the whole of my shop reflected。
Looking at my windows closely from the street；
I see in them the life of the street reflected。
Yet if I stand away； the glass remains transparent；
And I see clearly through it to the things beyond。
If I look with close vision
Into the hearts of men；
I see my own small heart reflected。
I will try henceforth not to look at them too closely。
At the Feast of Lanterns
Lithely on their strings swing the many…coloured lanterns；
For this is the Feast of Lanterns；
And Pennyfields and West India Dock Road
Are to…night a part of my own country；
Aglow with the hues of the Peacock's Tail；
Very amiable to the eye。
In a recess of my heart
Is a poor street hung with lanterns。
These lanterns are my thoughts；
And they are lighted at the last hours of the evenings；
When through this street
Walks the willowy maiden from the tea…shop across the road。
One Service Breeds Another
One of this person's white…skinned friends； Bill Hawkins；
Who labours at the waterside；
Had occasion； at the time of unkind weather；
To rescue from the certain peril of drowning
One who had slipped from the edge of a wharf to the dock。
Without reward the flower serves the bee。
The mother serves the child with pain and toil。
The soldier serves his king without king's gratitutde。
And this person has noted with much private amusement；
How； since this one service rendered；
Bill Hawkins goes ever from his accustomed path
To add service to service to the one he rescued；
While the rescued one looks ever upon Bill Hawkins
With eyes of no…approval； indeed； with intense disgust。
An Offer of a Lodging
Little maid of the yellow curls
You look sad as you pass my window。
You look as though you would like to creep into some warm nest；
And hide your golden head。
Oh； look； little maid！ I have made you a nest！
Creep into it； and I will hide you away；
Quietly； in the nest of my heart；
I will wrap you around with verses and cover you with fair thoughts。
There is yet one little corner left；
Free from the world's defilement；
One little corner where not a breath of wrong
Shall enter to disturb your slumbering。
And I will cherish you there
In the nest you will make so pure。
I will hold you and guard you safe from the snares of the stony streets。
Be at peace； little maid； and lie in trust；
For though my feet may stumble； and I may fall；
The corner that houses you I will ever keep whole。
Of Two Dwellings
At the lower end of Limehouse Causeway
Is a house where girls surrender their bodies
To the pleasures of base…minded and unpolished men；
In return for shillings。
And on the walls about this house
Blossoms at summer the wild white rose。
In a tiny room at the top of a tenement
Lives a white maid of surpassing virtue；
Gentle in manner and quiet and dutiful；
Combing her golden curls each morning
Before a window that looks out to hell；
That looks upon cesspools of mud； and mounds of refuse and the offal of the shops。
Concerning English Gambling
One morning； at the season of Clear Weather；
As I sat alone in my Tea…House of the Refined White Lily；
A stranger of affable address approached me；
And showed me； with a multitude of argument；
To what advantage I should come
Were I to place the whole of my substance with him；
Even to my shirt；
As a token of my faith in Ice Cream Cornet for the Lincolnshire。
And because I would not do so；
He withdrew himself from me as from one of mean birth and behaviour；
Reviling me with the name of 〃No…Sport；〃
And other characters of opprobrium。
But this person told him
That he carried always on written leaves
The words of his august father；
Concerning horses and women； and the wind in the hills and the hooting of owls。
He did not tell him that he knew full well
That Ice Cream Cornet was a non…starter for the Lincolnshire。
Of Politicians
Upon a time the amiable Bill Hawkins
Married a fair wife； demure and of chaste repute；
Keeping closely from her； however；
Any knowledge of the manner of man he had been。
Upon the nuptial night；
Awaking and finding himself couched with a woman；
As had happened on divers occasions；
He arose； and dressed and departed；
Leaving at the couch's side four goodly coins。
But in the street；
Remembering the occasion and his present estate of marriage；
He returned with a haste of no…dignity；
Filled with emotions of an entirely disturbing nature；
Fear that his wife should discover his absence
And place evil construction upon it；
Being uppermost。
Entering stealthily； then； with the toes of the leopard；
With intention of quickly disrobing；
And rejoining the forsaken bride；
He perceived her sitting erect on the couch；
Biting shrewdly； with a distressing air of experience；
At one of the coins。
Even so it is when Big Politician meets Little Politician。
Of the Great White War
During the years when the white men fought each other；
I observed how the aged cried aloud in public places
Of honour and chivalry； and the duty of the young；
And how the young ceased doing the pleasant things of youth；
And became suddenly old；
And marched away to defend the aged。
And I observed how the aged
Became suddenly young；
And mouthed fair phrases one to the other upon the Supreme Sacrifice；
And turned to their account…books； murmuring gravely：
Business as Usual；
And brought out bottles of wine and drank the health
Of the young men they had sent out to die for them。
At the Time of Clear Weather
In the agreeable public gardens of Poplar
The bushes are bright with buds；
For this is the season of Clear Weather。
There blossom the quiet flowers of this country：
The timid lilac；
The unassuming hawthorn；
The dignified chestnut；
And the girlish laburnum；
And the mandarin of them all is the rhododendron。
In the untilled field of my heart
Many simple buds are bursting。
There is a little bush of kindliness towards all men。
There is a slender tree of forgiveness for all wrongs。
There is a humble growth of repentance for past sins。
And around the field is a thick hedge of thankfulness。
And Ho！ in the midst of all
Stands the tree of a hundred boughs
Laden with the sweetest of all buds
Which are breaking to flower under the sun of a maiden's eyes。
Parent and Child
Often of an evening I take the air
And linger on the bridge by the Isle of Dogs；
And sometimes see
The swan…like shape of the ship that brought me hither。
Often since then that ship has gone
To the land from which it brought me；
And on each voyage my heart accompanies it。
Should I some day in person journey with it；
My honourable father would welcome his little son。