Four girls

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 bubbles

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

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

-ee cummings