A Child's World, e.e.cummings

A Child's World

e. e. cummings

maggie and milly and molly and may

went down to the beach (to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang

so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles, and

milly befriended a stranded star

whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing

which raced sideways while blowing bubbles and

may came home with a smooth round stone

as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)

it's always ourselves we find in the sea.

There is something about the line, "as small as a world and as large as alone" that lingers in my mind.  As large as the world actually is, there are often times it personally feels quite small ... too small.  The world 'large' is really quite common and yet I have never heard it compared to 'alone' ... but it makes perfect sense, doesn't it?