 | The book of the East |  |
13
AFTER THE FUNERAL.
Never any more,
Till my broken dream of life
Is swallowed up in death,
Shall I look upon my wife.
I prayed that she might live,
But my prayers could not save;
For here I am, alone,
And she is in the grave!
Till my broken dream of life
Is swallowed up in death,
Shall I look upon my wife.
I prayed that she might live,
But my prayers could not save;
For here I am, alone,
And she is in the grave!
It seems an age to me
Since I saw the coffin there;
The lid was off, and lo,
A face within the square,—
A pale but happy face,—
Sweet lips without a breath;
How beautiful if Sleep,
How terrible if Death!
Since I saw the coffin there;
The lid was off, and lo,
A face within the square,—
A pale but happy face,—
Sweet lips without a breath;
How beautiful if Sleep,
How terrible if Death!
14
I lifted up the child,
In her little mourning gown;
But she turned away her eyes
Until I put her down.
They took the coffin out
In the blinding light of day;
The black hearse moved on,
And the coaches crept away!
In her little mourning gown;
But she turned away her eyes
Until I put her down.
They took the coffin out
In the blinding light of day;
The black hearse moved on,
And the coaches crept away!
We stood around the grave
While the hollow prayers were said,
And the heavy, wet earth
Was shovelled on the dead;
As it struck the coffin-lid
With a dull and dreadful sound,
It seemed to strike my heart,—
They led me from the ground.
While the hollow prayers were said,
And the heavy, wet earth
Was shovelled on the dead;
As it struck the coffin-lid
With a dull and dreadful sound,
It seemed to strike my heart,—
They led me from the ground.
But all is over now,
And it almost soothes my pain
To think, whatever comes,
She cannot die again!
The blow has fallen,—I know
The worst that death can give:
The worst of life 's to come,
For I must learn to live!
And it almost soothes my pain
To think, whatever comes,
She cannot die again!
15
The worst that death can give:
The worst of life 's to come,
For I must learn to live!
What must I do to live?
I will play my part,—
Ply my subtle brain,
Forget my stricken heart;
Go again on 'Change,
Buy, and sell, and scheme;
Fit my ships for sea,—
Anything but dream!
I will play my part,—
Ply my subtle brain,
Forget my stricken heart;
Go again on 'Change,
Buy, and sell, and scheme;
Fit my ships for sea,—
Anything but dream!
I know the day will pass,
In the stir and light;
But how can I endure
The coming home at night?
No watching at the pane,
No meeting at the door,
No loving, wifely kiss,—
No Alice any more!
In the stir and light;
But how can I endure
The coming home at night?
No watching at the pane,
No meeting at the door,
No loving, wifely kiss,—
No Alice any more!
| The book of the East | |