My little daughter made a head of clay

Then tiring of it

Gave the thing away

To me.

I put it on the window sill in front

Of my desk, with sky and tree

And moving cloud beyond.

At first I hardly noticed it, at least

Not consciously-

A rough and odd-shaped head

That could belong to either man or beast.

But seeing it there both day and night

In changing patterns

Of shadow and light

And travelling with me

In the mind’s reflected eye

On all my mental journeys

This discarded piece of forgotten play

Became mascot and symbol-

My love

Caged in a lump of clay.