Looking-Glass River

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Looking-Glass River is from Robert Louis Stevenson's collection, A Child's Garden of Verses (1900). Illustration by E. Mars and M.H. Squire.

Smooth it slides upon its travel,
Here a wimple, there a gleam—
O the clean gravel!
O the smooth stream!

Sailing blossoms, silver fishes,
Paven pools as clear as air—
How a child wishes
To live down there!

We can see our colored faces
Floating on the shaken pool
Down in cool places,
Dim and very cool;

Till a wind or water wrinkle,
Dipping marten, plumping trout,
Spreads in a twinkle
And blots all out.

6.8

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