When I Was a Little Girl

Dedication

To
THE LITTLE GIRL ON CONANT STREET
AND TO THE
MEMORY OF HER GRANDMOTHER
HARRIET BEERS

Epigraph

If only words were moments
And I knew where they fly,
I’d make a tale of time itself
To tell you by and bye.

If only words were fathoms
That let us by for pearls,
I’d make a story ocean-strange
For little boys and girls.

But words are only shadow things.
I summon all I may.
Oh, see—they try to spell out Life!
Let’s act it, like a play.