By The Sea Poem by Hattie Howard

I am longing to dwell by the sea,
And dip in the surf every day,
And--height of subaqueous glee--
With the sharks and the porpoises play.

To novelty ever inclined--
Instead of a calm evening sail,
'Twould suit my adventurous mind
To ride on the back of a whale.

I want to disport on the rocks
Like a mythical mermaiden belle,
And comb out my watery locks,
Then dive to my cavernous cell.

I want to discover what lends
Such terror to all timid folks--
That serpent whose mystery tends
To make one believe it a hoax.

They say he's been captured at last;
The news is too good to be true--
He's slippery, cunning, and fast,
And likes notoriety too.

Once had I such longings to be
A sailor--those wishes are o'er,
But ever in dreams of the sea
My horoscope rests on the shore.

Oh, give me a home by the sea--
A cottage, a cabin, a tent!
Existence should ecstasy be
Till summer were joyfully spent.