The Sea-Poppy

 

A poppy grows upon the shore,

Bursts her twin cup in summer late:

Her leaves are glaucous-green and hoar,

Her petals yellow, delicate.

Illustration by Cecily Mary Barker

Oft her cousins turn her thought,

In wonder if they care that she

Is fed with spray for dew, and caught

By every gale that sweeps the sea.

She has no lovers like the red,

That dances with the noble corn:

Her blossoms on the waves are shed,

Where she stands shivering and forlorn.

"The Sea Poppy"
(1864)
Robert Seymour Bridges
(1844-1930)
English poet
Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom
(1913-1930)
His poems reflected his deep Christian faith
and he is the author of many hymns.

The Sea Poppy is also called The Horned Poppy and is a
 native wildflower to Great Britain and the United Kingdom.
It can be found growing in coastal areas, on single banks and beaches,
and also growing on cliff tops and in sand dunes.

Cecily Mary Barker 
(1895-1973)
English illustrator 
Official portrait painter of the Croydon fairy folk