"Church Parade"
The flattened sea is harsh and blue—
Lies stiff beneath—one tone, one hue,
While concertina waves unfold
The painted shimmering sands of gold.
Each bird that whirls and wheels on high
Must strangle, stifle in, its cry,
For nothing that's of Nature born
Should seem so on the Sabbath morn.
The terrace glitters hard and white,
Bedaubed and flecked with points of light
That flicker at the passers-by—
Reproachful as a curate's eye.
[ . . . ]
Osbert Sitwell's poem "Church Parade" was published in the 1920 Wheels anthology. To read this poem in full in a digitized version of this publication, follow the links below: