maggie and milly and molly and may

~ E. E. Cummings (1894-1962)

maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles,and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubble:and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world as and large as alone.

For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea