THE SECRET, a poem by Catherine Mansfield

In the profoundest ocean
There is a rainbow shell,
It is always there, shining most stilly
Under the greatest storm waves
That the old Greek called "ripples of laughter."
As you listen, the rainbow shell
Sings--in the profoundest ocean.
It is always there, singing most silently!

Biography
Her real name was Kathleen Beauchamp (October 14, 1888–January 9, 1923). She was born in New Zealand and moved to Europe when she was a young woman. She was buried in the town of Avon (Fontenebleau district, Paris).