"Away to sweet Felpham, for heaven is there." -- BLAKE.
Here Blake saw the seventy-seven
Stairs, and golden gates of heaven;
He said, "Come, for heaven is there";
He saw heaven where I see air,
He saw angels where I see
Only divine earth and sea.
" Bread of thought, wine of delight,"
Fed his spirit day and night,
But what heavenly bread or wine
Shall in these late days feed mine?
What strong lust of mortal eyes
Shuts me out of Paradise?
I can see, and 'tis enough
For my appetite of love,
Waters yellow, rose, and green,
Like the meadow-colours seen
In an opal absinthine
To the sea's pale level line;
Lavender and yellow sand,
With painted pebbles near the land;
Moss-grown groins all over-hung
With brown-leaved wreaths of seaweed, flung
By the sea to cover them;
Bright wet sea-pools that begem
The duller sand; and then green grass
Brighter than clear crysopras;
Tufted tamarisk that is
Ruddier than burnt topazes;
And, against the sky in rows.
Branches black with nests and crows,
To whose shelter homeward fly
Wings out of the twilight sky,
And there softly put to rest
Tired day into its nest.
