Morning and Evening by the Sea

At dawn the fleet stretched miles away On ocean-plains asleep,— Trim vessels waiting for the day To move across the deep. So still the sails they seemed to be White lilies growing in the sea.

When evening touched the cape's low rim, And dark fell on the waves, We only saw processions dim Of clouds, from shadowy caves; These were the ghosts of buried ships Gone down in one brief hour's eclipse!