Looking Glass River – Illustration by Jessie Willcox Smith

Looking Glass River – Illustration by Jessie Willcox Smith
from A child’s garden of verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, 1905

Looking Glass River
from A child’s garden of verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, 1905

Smooth it glides 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 coloured faces
Floating on the shaken pool
Down in cool places,
Dim and very cool;