The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls

The tide rises, the tide falls, 

The twilight darkens, the curlew calls; 

Along the sea-sands damp and brown 

The traveller hastens toward the town, 

And the tide rises, the tide falls. 

Darkness settles on roofs and walls, 

But the sea, the sea in the darkness calls; 

The little waves, with their soft, white hands, 

Efface the footprints in the sands, 

And the tide rises, the tide falls. 

The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls 

Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls; 

The day returns, but nevermore 

Returns the traveller to the shore, 

And the tide rises, the tide falls.

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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I used to read poetry because it was the "cool" thing to do. And you'd probably be able to guess what sort of little pretentious literary bookworm I was as a child, who would do something like read poetry for its cool factor.

To be honest, though there were poems that sparked a little something in me once in a while, I never truly loved poetry until my late teens.

Then, I discovered the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, thanks to anime. 

They were beautiful. I liked how they used so little to say so much. And thus began my true journey into poetry.

So, I've decided to share random poems that speak to me once in a while. 

For the one above, one line in particular caught me: The little waves, with their soft, white hands,

The best poems for me always leave a strong image in my head and make me see a little bit more to the world. 

I see poetry as a great way to cleanse and refresh the mind, so here's your dose for the day.