Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, TO MAEVE, by EVA GORE-BOOTH


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

TO MAEVE, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Not for thee, oh maeve, is the song of the wandering harper sung
Last Line: The sea lies dreaming about thee, even the mountains are dumb.
Alternate Author Name(s): Selina


NOT for thee, oh Maeve, is the song of the wandering harper sung,
For men have put lies on thy lips, and treason, and shrieking fear,
Because thou wert brave, they say thou wert bitter and false of tongue,
They mock at thy weakness now -- who once fled from thy flaming spear.

Now thou art cold on the mountains -- buried and silent and blind --
Dumb as the hills and the stars, blind as the waves of the sea.
A clatter of treacherous tongues goes railing along the wind
And many an evil word is spoken in hatred of thee.

Was it Fergus whose envious breath first cast o'er thy shining name
A poison of venomous words in the midst of the mourning host,
Till thy glory shone before them a wicked and perilous flame,
And thy beauty seemed but a snare, thy valour an empty boast?

They have buried thy golden deeds under the cairn on the hill,
And no one shall sing of thy hero soul in the days to come;
For the sky is blue with silence, and the stars are very still,
The sea lies dreaming about thee, even the mountains are dumb.





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