 | Love's memorial |  |
30
THE ROAD TO DEATH.
“O well for you when I am dead,
With loosened hanging hair to pass
Unto the bubbling clear well-head,
With loosened hanging hair to pass
Unto the bubbling clear well-head,
And sinking softly to the grass
Lay hands behind your neck and sigh
A little sobbing breath Alas,
Lay hands behind your neck and sigh
A little sobbing breath Alas,
How sweet it is to live, and lie,
Face upwards, on your back, to see
The hollowed turquoise of the sky,
Face upwards, on your back, to see
The hollowed turquoise of the sky,
And from the bent-grass hills, that be
Blown up by breezes from the sand,
Hear coloured secrets of the sea,
Blown up by breezes from the sand,
Hear coloured secrets of the sea,
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Of lovers parting on the strand
That now are bones, and bodies strange
Washed up at full tide to the land:
That now are bones, and bodies strange
Washed up at full tide to the land:
And watch the swallows sweet that range,
And sing perchance some little song
Dropt down the ages without change,
And sing perchance some little song
Dropt down the ages without change,
Such as I sang you, doing wrong
Unto the turn of broken rhyme,
What time alone we rode along
Unto the turn of broken rhyme,
What time alone we rode along
On hawking;” then a stone this time
Smote on his mouth, and from the crowd
Yells joined with laughter to the chime
Smote on his mouth, and from the crowd
Yells joined with laughter to the chime
Of heavy muffled bells, and loud
Beating of sullen drums: they led
Him bare-foot on the dusty road,
Beating of sullen drums: they led
Him bare-foot on the dusty road,
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A rope about his neck that bled
With chafing; then upon an hill,
Where on his weary bended head
With chafing; then upon an hill,
Where on his weary bended head
A sword fell, while where yet the still
Day blazed upon his distant land,
His lady by the singing rill
Day blazed upon his distant land,
His lady by the singing rill
Held her new lover by his hand.
| Love's memorial | |