Letters

Did you ever look at the sky’s deep blue

And wonder what made it that way?

Did you ever watch white clouds as they flew

Or crystal raindrops at play?

Have you ever seen the shivering stars,

In their setting of velvet black,

Or dreamed that you could go to Mars

And leave this world of fact?

Have you ever seen a fragile moon

In a diamond-studded sky,

Or watched the silver moths of June

In the heavenward course they fly?

Did you ever stand on top of a cliff

And look at an emerald sea,

Or see white flowers, the wedding gown

Of Springtime’s bride, an apple tree?

If all these things you know and love —

The earth, the sea, blue sky above —

Then you have seen with mortal eyes

The first small glimpse of Paradise.

Vicki Quan

Westhampton

This poem was written by Ms. Quan’s mother, Elaine Evans, when Ms. Evans was 17 years old — Ed.