Past Poetry

What is the song the children sing,When doorway lilacs bloom in Spring,And the Schools are loosed, and the games are playedThat were deadly earnest when Earth was made?Hear them chattering, shrill and hard,After dinner-time, out in the yard,As the sides are chosen and all submitTo the chance of the lot that shall make them “It.”(Singing) … Read more

Lest you should think this story trueI merely mention IEvolved it lately. ‘Tis a mostUnmitigated misstatement. Now Jones had left his new-wed bride to keep his house in order,And hied away to the Hurrum Hills above the Afghan border,To sit on a rock with a heliograph; but ere he left he taughtHis wife the working … Read more

Now there is nothing wrong with meExcept, I think it’s called T.B.And that is why I have to layOut in the garden all the day. Our garden is not very wide,And cars go by on either side,And make an angry-hooty noiseThat rather startles little boys. But worst of all is when they takeMe out in … Read more

Take of English earth as muchAs either hand may rightly clutch.In the taking of it breathePrayer for all who lie beneath.Not the great nor well-bespoke,But the mere uncounted folkOf whose life and death is noneReport or lamentation.Lay that earth upon thy heart,And thy sickness shall depart! It shall sweeten and make wholeFevered breath and festered … Read more

Our Lord Who did the Ox commandTo kneel to Judah’s King,He binds His frost upon the landTo ripen it for Spring,To ripen it for Spring, good sirs,According to His Word.Which well must be as ye can see,And who shall judge the Lord? When we poor fenmen skate the iceOr shiver on the wold,We hear the … Read more

My father’s father saw it not,And I, belike, shall never comeTo look on that so-holy spot,That very Rome, Crowned by all Time, all Art, all Might,The equal work of Gods and Man,City beneath whose oldest height,The Race began! Soon to send forth again a brood,Unshakable, we pray, that clingsTo Rome’s thrice-hammered hardihood,In arduous things. Strong … Read more

These are our regulations,There’s just one law for the ScoutAnd the first and the last, and the present and the past,And the future and the perfect is “Look out!”I, thou and he, look out!We, ye and they, look out!Though you didn’t or you wouldn’tOr you hadn’t or you couldn’t;You jolly well must look out! Look … Read more

He drank strong waters and his speech was coarse;He purchased raiment and forbore to pay’;He stuck a trusting junior with a horse,And won gymkhanas in a doubtful way.Then ‘twixt a vice and folly, turned asideTo do good deeds and straight to cloak them, lied.

“Saint Praxed’s ever was the Church for peace” If down here I chance to die,Solemnly I beg you takeAll that is left of “I”To the Hills for old sake’s sake,Pack me very thoroughlyIn the ice that used to slakePegs I drank when I was dry,This observe for old sake’s sake. To the railway station hie,There … Read more

One moment bid the horses wait,Since tiffin is not laid till three,Below the upward path and straitYou climbed a year ago with me.Love came upon us suddenlyAnd loosed an idle hour to killA headless, harmless armoryThat smote us both on Jakko Hill. Ah, Heaven! we would wait and waitThrough Time and to Eternity!Ah, Heaven! we … Read more