THE SELFSAME SONG

A bird bills the selfsame song,

With never a fault in its flow,

That we listened to here those long

Long years ago.

A pleasing marvel is how

A strain of such rapturous rote

Should have gone on thus till now

Unchanged in a note!

- But it's not the selfsame bird. -

No: perished to dust is he...

As also are those who heard

That song with me.