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Though we said； 〃We are only； daddy；
Singing； 'Will you take me； Paddy？'〃
Well； we never saw from then
If we sang there anywhen；
The soldier dear again；
Except at night in dream…time；
Except at night in dream。
Perhaps that soldier's fighting
In a land that's far away；
Or he may be idly plighting
Some foreign hussy gay；
Or perhaps his bones are whiting
In the wind to their decay！ 。 。 。
Ah！does he mind him how
The girls he saw that day
On the bridge； were sitting singing
At the time of curfew…ringing；
〃Take me； Paddy； will you now； dear？
Paddy； will you now？〃
GREY'S BRIDGE。
THE YOUNG CHURCHWARDEN
When he lit the candles there；
And the light fell on his hand；
And it trembled as he scanned
Her and me； his vanquished air
Hinted that his dream was done；
And I saw he had begun
To understand。
When Love's viol was unstrung；
Sore I wished the hand that shook
Had been mine that shared her book
While that evening hymn was sung；
His the victor's； as he lit
Candles where he had bidden us sit
With vanquished look。
Now her dust lies listless there；
His afar from tending hand；
What avails the victory scanned？
Does he smile from upper air：
〃Ah； my friend； your dream is done；
And 'tis YOU who have begun
To understand！
〃I TRAVEL AS A PHANTOM NOW〃
I travel as a phantom now；
For people do not wish to see
In flesh and blood so bare a bough
As Nature makes of me。
And thus I visit bodiless
Strange gloomy households often at odds；
And wonder if Man's consciousness
Was a mistake of God's。
And next I meet you； and I pause；
And think that if mistake it were；
As some have said； O then it was
One that I well can bear！
1915。
LINES
TO A MOVEMENT IN MOZART'S E…FLAT SYMPHONY
Show me again the time
When in the Junetide's prime
We flew by meads and mountains northerly！ …
Yea； to such freshness； fairness； fulness； fineness； freeness；
Love lures life on。
Show me again the day
When from the sandy bay
We looked together upon the pestered sea！ …
Yea； to such surging； swaying； sighing； swelling； shrinking；
Love lures life on。
Show me again the hour
When by the pinnacled tower
We eyed each other and feared futurity！ …
Yea； to such bodings； broodings； beatings； blanchings； blessings；
Love lures life on。
Show me again just this：
The moment of that kiss
Away from the prancing folk； by the strawberry…tree！ …
Yea； to such rashness； ratheness； rareness； ripeness； richness；
Love lures life on。
Begun November 1898。
〃IN THE SEVENTIES〃
〃Qui deridetur ab amico suo sicut ego。〃JOB。
In the seventies I was bearing in my breast；
Penned tight；
Certain starry thoughts that threw a magic light
On the worktimes and the soundless hours of rest
In the seventies； aye； I bore them in my breast
Penned tight。
In the seventies when my neighbourseven my friend …
Saw me pass；
Heads were shaken； and I heard the words； 〃Alas；
For his onward years and name unless he mend！〃
In the seventies； when my neighbours and my friend
Saw me pass。
In the seventies those who met me did not know
Of the vision
That immuned me from the chillings of mis…prision
And the damps that choked my goings to and fro
In the seventies； yea； those nodders did not know
Of the vision。
In the seventies nought could darken or destroy it；
Locked in me；
Though as delicate as lamp…worm's lucency；
Neither mist nor murk could weaken or alloy it
In the seventies！could not darken or destroy it；
Locked in me。
THE PEDIGREE
I
I bent in the deep of night
Over a pedigree the chronicler gave
As mine； and as I bent there； half…unrobed；
The uncurtained panes of my window…square let in the watery light
Of the moon in its old age：
And green…rheumed clouds were hurrying past where mute and cold it
globed
Like a drifting dolphin's eye seen through a lapping wave。
II
So； scanning my sire…sown tree；
And the hieroglyphs of this spouse tied to that；
With offspring mapped below in lineage；
Till the tangles troubled me；
The branches seemed to twist into a seared and cynic face
Which winked and tokened towards the window like a Mage
Enchanting me to gaze again thereat。
III
It was a mirror now；
And in it a long perspective I could trace
Of my begetters； dwindling backward each past each
All with the kindred look；
Whose names had since been inked down in their place
On the recorder's book；
Generation and generation of my mien； and build； and brow。
IV
And then did I divine
That every heave and coil and move I made
Within my brain； and in my mood and speech；
Was in the glass portrayed
As long forestalled by their so making it；
The first of them； the primest fuglemen of my line；
Being fogged in far antiqueness past surmise and reason's reach。
V
Said I then； sunk in tone；
〃I am merest mimicker and counterfeit！ …
Though thinking； I AM I
AND WHAT I DO I DO MYSELF ALONE。〃
The cynic twist of the page thereat unknit
Back to its normal figure； having wrought its purport wry；
The Mage's mirror left the window…square；
And the stained moon and drift retook their places there。
1916。
THIS HEART
A WOMAN'S DREAM
At midnight； in the room where he lay dead
Whom in his life I had never clearly read；
I thought if I could peer into that citadel
His heart； I should at last know full and well
What hereto had been known to him alone；
Despite our long sit…out of years foreflown；
〃And if；〃 I said； 〃I do this for his memory's sake；
It would not wound him； even if he could wake。〃
So I bent over him。 He seemed to smile
With a calm confidence the whole long while
That I； withdrawing his heart； held it and； bit by bit；
Perused the unguessed things found written on it。
It was inscribed like a terrestrial sphere
With quaint vermiculations close and clear …
His graving。 Had I known； would I have risked the stroke
Its reading brought； and my own heart nigh broke！
Yes； there at last； eyes opened； did I see
His whole sincere symmetric history；
There were his truth； his simple singlemindedness；
Strained； maybe； by time's storms； but there no less。
There were the daily deeds from sun to sun
In blindness； but good faith； that he had done；
There were regrets； at instances wherein he swerved
（As he conceived） from cherishings I had deserved。
There were old hours all figured down as bliss …
Those spent with me（how little had I thought this！）
There those when； at my absence； whether he slept or waked；
（Though I knew not 'twas so！） his spirit ached。
There that when we were severed； how day dulled
Till time joined us anew； was chronicled：
And arguments and battlings in defence of me
That heart recorded clearly and ruddily。
I put it back； and left him as h