One day I chanced to look out to sea,
And there, along the horizon’s rim,
I saw a bank of clouds against the overcast sky,
That floated serenely as if held up by some strange force,
And spread a gentle, soft and tender light,
Onto the steel blue sea below.
Suddenly a conviction took my mind,
And held sway against all rational thought,
That I was looking at a city in the sky,
Where lived, perhaps in timeless repose,
Creatures of pure thought and intent,
Who looked down on the world below,
From their soft and insubstantial walls,
And considered the frantic lives of men,
With sweet but kindly indifference.
But no sooner had the thought taken hold,
Than that bank of cloud dissolved,
And seemed to melt back into the air,
So that I was left bereft,
With heavy sadness on my mind,
To have seen a glimpse of a life so fair and good,
That would ever be beyond my reach.
