Pebbles and gay shingle

The shining pebbles on the sea shore sing

The sun rides on the water’s gleaming lines

The tide will beat with pebbles on the groynes.

No good thing can happen by design

Further down is shingle minced and scarred

The faceless little stones push shells about

In a storm the sound is fearful noise

Late at night the lifeboat might go out.

The sea runs on the sand transparent clear

Little children paddle with delight

Like the Wash is, estuaries are you wild

In a moment a girl can disappear.

The little stones the pebbles and the sand

Have no faces, do not understand