Just To Drift

Roderic Quinn 1867 (Surry Hills, New South Wales) – 1949 (Darlinghurst, New South Wales)



DRIFTING down the Harbour,
Stars on high,
Lovers of the surface,
You and I,
Let us never pry and wonder
At the things that lie thereunder.
Underneath the surface
Silver-fair,
Let us never question
What lies there;
Lest we lose, like some robbed miser,
All our treasure, growing wiser.
Lo, it has the beauty
Of a flower!
Is it not sufficient
For the hour
Just to drift as mists are drifted,
Depths unplumbed and veils unlifted?
Where's the flawless jewel,
Stainless breast?
Where's the Love that answers
Every test?
Where's the past that's altogether
Cloudless as this radiant weather?
Drifting down the Harbour
On the tide,
Careless of all knowledge,
Let us glide,
Heedless of what Life discovers,
Save that you and I are lovers.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

39 sec read
33

Quick analysis:

Scheme AbcbaacdedaafagahfijkjaaAlmlkk
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 708
Words 127
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 30

Roderic Quinn

Roderic Joseph Quinn was an Australian poet. more…

All Roderic Quinn poems | Roderic Quinn Books

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