The Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti

 

One of the earliest recollections of poetry is reading a book of poems by Christina Rossetti. The beauty of the Goblin Market stays with me today..

Evening by evening

Among the brookside rushes,

Laura bow’d her head to hear,

Lizzie veil’d her blushes:

Crouching close together

In the cooling weather,

With clasping arms and cautioning lips,

With tingling cheeks and finger tips.

“Lie close,” Laura said,

Pricking up her golden head:

“We must not look at goblin men,

We must not buy their fruits:

Who knows upon what soil they fed

Their hungry thirsty roots?”

“Come buy,” call the goblins

Hobbling down the glen.

I do recommend reading the Goblin Market, you can read it here or you can check out the wonderful Hob Hill website with its wonderful mystical art.