Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, DALLAS: HIS DIRGE, by DIANA JAMES


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

DALLAS: HIS DIRGE, by                    
First Line: Dallas is dead
Last Line: No loveliness while dallas is alive.
Subject(s): Death; Love - Loss Of; Love - Unrequited; Dead, The


I

Dallas is dead.
It was the tenth of May
When Dallas died,
It was a week ago to-day.
And what is left?
Sylvia. Sylvia cried
"God! what is left?"
And "Sylvia" the wind replied.
Something of her lay dead at Dallas' side;
She moved and, through a mist of tears,
She saw the vista of the years.
"Dallas is dead"
Said the dawn;
The morning said
"Dallas is gone";
The dreamy afternoon
Whispered "Soon, soon
You will forget!"
But when the sun set
She remembered still,
Her heart was full
Of him, and in the night
She remembered his light.
Remembered he was dead
So that the tears bled
In her eyes
And that her body ached
With an infinity of tears and cries.
I looked at her, I thought "How young you were
"For such a love!" and then "How young you are
To be so sad. But sorrow has not made you old,
Tragically young indeed the hand I hold,
The hand that Dallas loved!" and the tears poured
On to it, little hand that he adored.
God! he had loved her. God! she had had his love!
And, now that he was above
And her tears like rain,
I thought "God! you are young enough to start again."

II

I had a Dallas too,
No, he's not dead,
I wish he were, though,
And I've got to make him die,
So that this agony,
This aching lethargy
Of limb, this cry
Of my heart may cease,
And peace
Be mine,
O God divine
Give me peace!
A year ago to-day he sent his love to me,
I laughed a little then,
But soon the laughter grew to be
A laugh of love. Amen.
He said he'd only lent his love to me,
He came and took it back, and came again
With friendship this time. I
Prayed God to make him die,
To take away the ghost that haunted me,
That is beloved of me, that drives me mad!
I had
No memories, and I've no youth, no love to give—
No loveliness while Dallas is alive.





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