I found a world inside a shell,
I peeked in for a fleeting spell;
A tiny church for plankton bones
And grains of sand for standing stones,
Hairline hedges tufted round
Algae lush upon a mound
Where, almost too small to be seen,
Cattle grazed upon the green.
There beneath a pearly glow
Ragged rainbows dancing go, –
Little folks with spiny horns
In hues of sunset, leaf and corn,
Fancy hats atop their heads
And siren bells upon their legs.

I closed the shell. I hope that they
Still dance beneath their astral bay.