maggie and milly and molly and mae...

...went down to the beach to play one day

and maggie discovered a shell that sang

so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles, and

milly befriended a stranded star

whose rays five languid fingers were

and molly was chased by a horrible thing

which raced sideways while blowing bubbles , and

may came home with a smooth round stone

as small as a world and as large as alone

for whatever we lose, like a you or a me

it's always ourselves we find in the sea.

-Vincent Persichetti