THE LONG WHITE SEAM

Jean Ingelow 1820–97

As I came round the harbour buoy, 

  The lights began to gleam, 

No wave the land-lock’d water stirr’d, 

  The crags were white as cream; 

And I mark’d my love by candle-light         

  Sewing her long white seam. 

    It’s aye sewing ashore, my dear, 

      Watch and steer at sea, 

    It’s reef and furl, and haul the line, 

      Set sail and think of thee.         

I climb’d to reach her cottage door; 

  O sweetly my love sings! 

Like a shaft of light her voice breaks forth, 

  My soul to meet it springs 

As the shining water leap’d of old,         

  When stirr’d by angel wings. 

    Aye longing to list anew, 

      Awake and in my dream, 

    But never a song she sang like this, 

      Sewing her long white seam.         

Fair fall the lights, the harbour lights, 

  That brought me in to thee, 

And peace drop down on that low roof 

  For the sight that I did see, 

And the voice, my dear, that rang so clear         

  All for the love of me. 

    For O, for O, with brows bent low 

      By the candle’s flickering gleam, 

    Her wedding gown it was she wrought, 

      Sewing the long white seam.

           -o0o-