Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A RHYME, by J. A. DAWE



Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A RHYME, by                    
First Line: I have seen great beauty
Last Line: To let me die, to let me die.
Subject(s): Beauty; Oxford University


I HAVE seen great beauty,
But have made no rhyme
Since my heart burst
In the autumn time.

At back o' the hills
Behind the trees
The sun was making
Bloody seas.
And there I met her in the lane
Shining wet with the autumn rain,
And when she said it could not be
The devil entered into me
And bloody thoughts fell on my mind.
She was calm and very kind
And did as much as pity can,
But would not have me for her man.
And when they split your heart in two
And only say "I pity you,"
What wonder if a man of sin
Let the devil enter in
Through the gates of his smashed heart....

And so it was when we did part.
All hell was in my soul that night,
And I went out to seek delight
Over long miles of grassy down
To the little market town.
The moon was hanging in the sky
And great white clouds went scudding by,
And in my veins the black hot blood
Was singing mighty hate for god.
I slithered onwards through the mud,
I could not see the path I trod,
The wet salt tears in my eyes
Shut the light out from the skies.
And all that night I roared and cried
And kissed the woman by my side,
And she was very kind to me
And understood my misery.
And I was full of beer and gin
And deadly drunk and all for sin
To quench the raging flame within.
And all the people in the fair
Could only stop and stare and stare
Till I could bash their faces in.
And in my brain was all the din
Of roundabouts
And bawdy shouts;
And painted booths all gaudy red
Slashed bright red scars right through my head --
Right through; and yet
I did not forget
That last love tryst,
I saw her shadow there
And those red lips I'd never kissed,
And all the wind was in her hair.
I cried aloud for very pain
And filled the tankard up again;
'Tis a jolly thing the drink
For men who are afraid to think.
The blood went singing in my ears,
And in my eyes ran burning tears,
And being out for mighty fun
I did great things I'd never done....
And now I feel my smashed-up soul
Is clinkered like a burned-out coal,
And my lost love still stays with me
And will never let me be --
Will never let me be.
The autumn will come back again
But I shall never kill my pain,
And the world will not be kind
Nor beauty burst upon my mind.
I pray great god behind the sky
To let me die, to let me die.





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