All
of the poems on this page are written by Robert Louis Stevenson and have
been taken from the book 'A Child's Garden of Verses', by Robert Louis
Stevenson.
The
Moon
The
moon has a face like the clock in the hall ;
She
shines on thieves on the garden wall,
On streets
and fields and harbour quays,
And
birdies asleep in the forks of trees.
The
squalling cat and the squeaking mouse,
The
howling dog by the door of the house,
The
bat that lies in bed at noon,
All
love to be out by the light of the moon.
But all
of the things that belong to the day
Cuddle
to sleep to be out of her way ;
And
flowers and children close their eyes
Till
up in the morning the sun shall rise.
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The
Wind
I saw
you toss the kites on high
And
blow the birds about the sky ;
And
all around I heard you pass
Like
ladies' skirts across the grass -
O wind,
a-blowing all day long,
O wind,
that sing so loud a song !
I saw
the different thing you did,
But
always you yourself you hid.
I felt
you push, I heard you call,
I could
not see yourself at all-
O wind,
a-blowing all day long,
O wind,
that sing so loud a song !
O you
that are so strong and cold,
O blower
are you young or old ?
Are
you a beast of field and tree,
Or just
a stronger child than me ?
O wind,
a-blowing all day long,
O wind,
that sing so loud a song !
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The
Land of Nod
From
breakfast on through all the day
At home
among my friends I stay,
But
every night I go abroad
Afar
into the land of Nod.
All by
myself I have to go,
With
none to tell me what to do--
All
alone beside the streams
And
up the mountain-sides of dreams.
The strangest
things are these for me,
Both
things to eat and things to see,
And
many frightening sights abroad
Till
morning in the land of Nod.
Try as
I like to find the way,
I never
can get back by day,
Nor
can remember plain and clear
The
curious music that I hear.
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The
Land of Counterpane
When
I was sick and lay a-bed,
I had
two pillows at my head,
And
all my toys beside me lay,
To keep
me happy all the day.
And sometimes
for an hour or so
I watched
my leaden soldiers go,
With
different uniforms and drills,
Among
the bed-clothes, through the hills;
And sometimes
sent my ships in fleets
All
up and down among the sheets;
Or brought
my trees and houses out,
And
planted cities all about.
I was
the giant great and still
That
sits upon the pillow-hill,
And
sees before him, dale and plain,
The
pleasant land of counterpane.
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Travel
I should
like to rise and go
Where
the goldenapples grow;--
Where
below another sky
Parrot
islands anchored lie,
And,
watched by cockatoos and goats,
Lonely
Crusoes building boats;--
Where
in sunshine reaching out
Eastern
cities, miles about,
Are
with mosque and minaret
Among
sandy gardens set,
And
the rich goods from near and far
Hang
for sale in thebazaar;--
Where
the Great Wall round China goes,
And
on one side the desert blows,
And
with the voice and bell and drum,
Cities
on the other hum;--
Where
are forests hot as fire,
Wide
as England, tall as a spire,
Full
of apes and cocoa-nuts
And
the negro hunters' huts;--
Where
the knotty crocodile
Lies
and blinks in the Nile,
And
the red flamingo flies
Hunting
fish before his eyes;--
Where
in jungles near and far,
Man-devouring
tigers are,
Lying
close and giving ear
Lest
the hunt be drawing near,
Or a
comer-by be seen
Swinging
in the palanquin;--
Where
among the desert sands
Some
deserted city stands,
All
its children, sweep and prince,
Grown
to manhood ages since,
Not
a foot in street or house,
Not
a stir of child or mouse,
And
when kindly falls the night,
In all
the town no spark of light.
There
I'll come when I'm a man
With
a camel caravan;
Light
a fire in the gloom
Of some
dusty dining-room;
See
the pictures on the walls,
Heroes
fights and festivals;
And
in a corner find thetoys
Of the
old Egyptian boys. |
Foreign
Lands
Up into
the cherry tree
Who
should climb but little me?
I held
the trunk with both my hands
And
looked abroad in foreign lands.
I saw
the next door garden lie,
Adorned
with flowers, before my eye,
And
many pleasant places more
That
I had never seen before.
I saw
the dimpling river pass
And
be the sky's blue looking-glass;
The
dusty roads go up and down
With
people tramping in to town.
If I
could find a higher tree
Farther
and farther I should see,
To where
the grown-up river slips
Into
the sea among the ships,
To where
the road on either hand
Lead
onward into fairy land,
Where
all the children dine at five,
And
all the playthings come alive.
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