I walked alone, a stranger I,
To weald and wold and lea,
But when I saw the rust-red sails
Beside the Brixham quay,
I felt within my veins the blood
Rise up in ecstasy.
The sails along the Brixham sea,
Flecked while with feathery foam,
Wore every shade of red that ran
Through all the Devon loam--
And Devon earth and Devon airs
Cried me a welcome home.
The sturdy Brixham fishermen,
With faces weather-stung,
Talked to me where the fishing nets
Along the harbour hung,
And oh, I listened half-entranced--
I knew their Devon tongue.
A stranger I from far away,
With ne'er a memory,
Yet when I saw those Brixham sails
Take up the wind for me,
I knew that through my blood there ran
The salty Devon sea.
First published in The Sydney Morning Herald, 31 October 1931
