Lamplight and candle-light, And light of friendly fires-I love them all, but these to-night Are none of my desires.
To-night the wind goes whispering Across the salt lagoon,And a late bird on hurried wing Skims low by beach and dune.
A tall ship at anchor rides,
And, through her masts and spars, There gleams the light I want to-night,The radiance of stars-
The faint light, the far light, Of shy, elusive starlight,The shimmering and glimmering of all the wakeful stars. Lamplight for chill July,And joys of printed page, And candle-light for coquetryOf gallant, bygone age; Camp-fires and fires of homeFor jollity and mirth;
But starlight for us who roam, The dreamers of the earth.
Oh, frail and fair as gossamer, Yet strong as iron bars,Are dreams that rise beneath the eyes Of little, kindly stars-The young dreams, the rare dreams, The lovely do-and-dare dreams-They soar so high they fill the sky and touch the very stars.
Sheila McLeod
Author.-Sheila Mcleod is a living New Zealand poetess.
General.-A song of starlight should be quiet and tender, shy and glim- mering, like the light of stars. Does this song suit the theme? How should it be read? What lights other than starlight are mentioned? Which lights are left out? If you shut your eyes and say "lamplight, " what picture do you see? Now try " candle-light, " now " camp-fire, " now "moonlight, " now " electric light, " now "daylight, " now " twilight. " Which one do youlike best? How did the poem come to Sheila McLeod? At what time? Her lagoon is an arm of the sea; coquetry is flirtation; gossamer, spider"s web. What are the stars? How many colours have the stars of night? Look if you are not sure.