Treasure-Trove

I played with the whispering rushes,
By a river of reverie,

I played with the whispering rushes,
By a river of reverie,
Flowing so quietly onward
Into an unknown sea.

And I watched the dreamy current,
Till to my feet it brought,
Glistening among the pebbles,
The pearl of a fair new thought.

New!  yet many another,
Leaning over the stream,
May have welcomed its sudden shining,
And gazed on its gentle gleam.

Long it must have been lying,
Yet it is new to me.
Oh, the treasures around us,
If we could only see!

I have broken the smooth, dark water
Into ripples and circles bright,
Lifting my pearl from the pebbles,
Bearing away its light.

I am so glad to have found it!
I shall treasure it safely awhile,
It will brighten the niche that is darkest
In my spirit’s loneliest aisle.

And then, it may be, a dear one
Will wear it a long, long time,
Fastened firm on her bosom,
In a setting of silver rhyme.