Living

Hidden Gems

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1850–1919

From Maurine and Other Poems (1888)

Living

We know not what lies in us, till we seek;
Men dive for pearls--they are not found on shore,
The hillsides most unpromising and bleak
Do sometimes hide the ore.

Go, dive in the vast ocean of thy mind,
O man! far down below the noisy waves,
Down in the depths and silence thou mayst find
Rare pearls and coral caves.

Sink thou a shaft into the mine of thought;
Be patient, like the seekers after gold;
Under the rocks and rubbish lieth what
May bring thee wealth untold.

Reflected from the vasty Infinite,
However dulled by earth, each human mind
Holds somewhere gems of beauty and of light
Which, seeking, thou shalt find.

MLA

Wilcox, Ella Wheeler. “Hidden Gems.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/wilcox/180/.

Chicago

Wilcox, Ella Wheeler. “Hidden Gems.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/wilcox/180/.

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