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Rose Labrie (1916-1986) first published her poem, “The Rocks of Nubble Light,” in New Hampshire’s Portsmouth Herald Newspaper on March, 16, 1949. In 1954, she printed the poem with an illustration by New Jersey artist David O’Neil and did quite well selling them framed and unframed to gift shops in southern Maine.
Rose Labrie later included the poem on the last page of a small booklet that she published in 1954 and again in 1958 titled Sentinel of the Sea . . . Nubble Light: History of Cape Neddick Light Station. She continued her career writing stories for local and regional newspapers as well as selling her photographs and won several awards for them. She also wrote and illustrated a number of children’s books, including, King, The Leprechaun Pony and Randy, the Rooster.
In 1961, she published another lighthouse booklet, The Story of Pemaquid Light, but, in lighthouse circles, it is her poem and booklet about Nubble Lighthouse that she will probably be best remembered for. By publishing her poem in this issue of Lighthouse Digest we hope to help keep her memory alive.
The Rocks of Nubble Light
By Rose Labrie
From all the world, men come to see,
These rocks of Nubble, by the sea.
Oh what a grand and wondrous sight,
Are these great rocks of Nubble Light.
Such cliffs of rock the eyes behold,
Majestic grandeur, wild and bold.
Artist came from desert sands,
To paint such splendor, for distant lands.
Graceful wing of sea gull’s flight
Roar of surf, both day and night.
Here on a lazy summer’s day,
The little flying fishes play.
Happy sandpipers come to see,
What makes all here, so merry be.
Music of children’s laughter at play,
While grownups dream away the day.
White fleecy clouds in golden sky,
Look down with longing, and breathe a sigh.
Because they too would like to be,
On Nubble rocks, by restless sea.
Song of birds fill the air,
Flame of blossoms everywhere.
When God placed these rocks by Nubble sea
He left the touch of Eternity.
This story appeared in the
May/Jun 2021 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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