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Who hath desired the Sea? -- the sight of salt water unbounded --
The heave and the halt and the hurl and the crash of the comber wind-hounded?
The sleek-barrelled swell before storm, grey, foamless, enormous, and growing --
Stark calm on the lap of the Line or the crazy-eyed hurricane blowing --
His Sea in no showing the same his Sea and the same 'neath each showing:
His Sea as she slackens or thrills?
So and no otherwise -- so and no otherwise -- hillmen desire their Hills!
- Rudyard Kipling


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I am inspired by the pretty dark things at the moment. A bit mysterious, a little ghoulish, but still lovely. Just enough to give chills but still inspire. I hope you enjoy the poem below by Rose Terry Cooke.


Night Comes Creeping
Night comes creeping slowly o'er me,
Like a vapor cold and gray;
Dim the track that lies before me,
Lost the lingering smile of day.

As a river, nearing ocean,
Drops the brooklet's merry bell,
I forget hope's wild emotion;
Love and life, farewell, farewell!

Eyes above me raining sorrow,
Lips too tender to be true,
In the sunshine of tomorrow
Glow and sweetness shall renew.

I have trod a weary measure,
Fairy-tales no more I tell.
False is pain, and fleeting pleasure;
Love and life, farewell, farewell!

Softly through the darkened heaven,
Like a vision in the night,
Float the purple wings of even;
No more laughter, no more light.

Close mine eyes, worn out with weeping,
Weary pulses rest as well!
In the dust and silence sleeping,
Love and life, farewell, farewell!

The ocean said to me once,
"Look!
Yonder on the shore
Is a woman, weeping.
I have watched her.
Go you and tell her this --
Her lover I have laid
In cool green hall.
There is wealth of golden sand
And pillars, coral-red;
Two white fish stand guard at his bier.

"Tell her this
And more --
That the king of the seas
Weeps too, old, helpless man.
The bustling fates
Heap his hands with corpses
Until he stands like a child
With a surplus of toys."
- Stephen Crane

Image credits: 1.} Natalia by the Sea, 2.} Paper Boats, 3.} Yulia, 4.} Tumblr via We♥It, 5.} Ppppapertissue, 6.} Lauren Rose, 7.} I wonder where you are, 8.} Mah Mah, 9.} We♥It, 10.} Le Love