Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, TETE-A-TETE, by ANONYMOUS


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

TETE-A-TETE, by                    
First Line: "a bit of ground, a smell of earth"
Last Line: "they sleep, and know nor pain nor joy"
Subject(s): Earth; World


I.

A BIT of ground, a smell of earth,
A pleasant murmur in the trees,
The chirp of birds, an insect's hum,
And, kneeling on their chubby knees,

Two neighbors' children at their play;
Who has not seen a hundred such?
A head of gold, a head of brown,
Bending together till they touch.

II.

A country school-house by the road,
A spicy scent of woods anear,
And all the air with summer sounds
Laden for who may care to hear.

So do not two, a boy and girl,
Who stay, when all the rest are gone,
Solving a problem deeper far
Than one they seem intent upon.

Dear hearts, of course they do not know
How near their heads together lean;
The bee that wanders through the room
Has hardly space to go between.

III.

Now darker is the head of brown,
The head of gold is brighter now,
And lines of deeper thought and life
Are written upon either brow.

The sense that thrills their being through
With nameless longings vast and dim
Has found a voice, has found a name,
And where he goes she follows him.

Again their heads are bending near,
And bending down in silent awe
Above a morsel pure and sweet,
A miracle of love and law.

How often shall their heads be bowed
With joy or grief, with love and pride,
As waxeth strong that feeble life,
Or slowly ebbs its falling tide!

IV.

A seaward hill where lie the dead
In dreamless slumber deep and calm;
Above their graves the roses bloom,
And all the air is full of balm.

They do not smell the roses sweet;
They do not see the ships that go
Along the far horizon's edge;
They do not feel the breezes blow.

Here loving hands have gently laid
The neighbors' children, girl and boy
And man and wife; head close to head
They sleep, and know nor pain nor joy.





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