I LOVE the hills but she the open shore,
The shore because it lies along the sea.
I would be lofty, solitary, free,
Selfish at times; at times, hearing the roar
Of the ocean where beneath the bending oar
It does the planet service, I would be
As rich in blessing, yea, as rich as she
Is rich in blessing; I could not be more.
I walk apart, my heart is in the sky,
Yet ever yearning downward to the land;
She walks where all the world is crowding by
And holds a little child in either hand;
I bless her service with a troubled cry
Of one who would but cannot understand.