Penance
By John McCrae
My lover died a century ago, Her dear heart stricken by my sland'rous breath, Wherefore the Gods forbade that I should know The peace of death. Men pass my grave, and say, "'Twere well to sleep, Like such an one, amid the uncaring dead!" How should they know the vigils that I keep, The tears I shed? Upon the grave, I count with lifeless breath, Each night, each year, the flowers that bloom and die, Deeming the leaves, that fall to dreamless death, More blest than I. 'Twas just last year, I heard two lovers pass So near, I caught the tender words he said: To-night the rain-drenched breezes sway the grass Above his head. That night full envious of his life was I, That youth and love should stand at his behest; To-night, I envy him, that he should lie At utter rest.
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"My lover died a century ago,..."
"Penance" is a quintessential example of John McCrae's signature style... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...