Warning And Reply

In the earth—the earth—thou shalt be laid,

A grey stone standing over thee;

Black mould beneath thee spread,

And black mould to cover thee."Well—there is rest there,

So fast come thy prophecy;

The time when my sunny

Shall with grass roots entwined be."But cold—cold is that resting-place,

Shut out from joy and liberty,

And all who loved thy living

Will shrink from it shudderingly,"Not so.

RE the world is chill,

And sworn friends fall from me:

But

RE—they will own me still,

And prize my memory."Farewell, then, all that love,

All that deep sympathy:

Sleep on:

Heaven laughs above,

Earth never misses thee.

Turf-sod and tombstone

Part human company;

One heart breaks only—here,

But that heart was worthy thee!