AND THESE FOR YOU

Let me not see your grief!

O, let not any see

That grief,

Nor how your heart still rocks

Like a temple with long earthquake shocks.

Let me not see

Your grief.

These eyes have seen such wrong,

Yet remained cold:

Ills grown strong,

Corruption's many-headed worm

Destroying feet that moved so firm —

Shall these eyes see

Your grief?

And that black worm has crawled

Into the brain

Where thought had walked

Nobly, and love and honour moved as one,

And brave things bravely were begun....

Now, can thought see

Unabashed your grief?

Into that brain your grief

Has run like cleansing fire:

Your grief

Through these unfaithful eyes has leapt

And touched honour where it lightly slept.

Now when I see

In memory your grief

There is no thought that's not

Yours, yours,

No love that sleeps,

No spiritual door that opens not

In the green quiet village of thought

Shining with light,

And silent to your silence.