renascence con.

long had i lain thus craving death
when quietly the earth beneath
gave way and inch by inch so great
at last had grown the crushing weight
into the earth i sank till i
full six feet under ground did lie
and sank no more - there is no weight
can follow here however great
from off my breast i felt it roll
and as it went my tortured soul
burst forth and fled in such a gust
that all about me swirled the dust

deep in the earth i rested now
cool is its hand upon the brow
and soft its breast beneath the head
of one who is so gladly dead
and all at once and over all
the pitying rain began to fall
i lay and heard each pattering hoof
upon my lowly thatched roof
and seemed to love the sound far more
than ever i had done before
for rain it hath a friendly sound
to one who's six feet under ground
and scarce the friendly voice or face
a grave is such a quiet place

the rain i said is kind to come
and speak to me in my new home
i would i were alive again
to kiss the fingers of the rain
to drink into my eyes the shine
of every slanting silver line
to catch the freshened fragrant breeze
from drenched and dripping apple-trees
for soon the shower will be done
and then the broad face of the sun
will laugh above the rain-soaked earth
until the world with answering mirth
shakes joyously and each round drop
rolls twinkling from its grass-blade top
while overhead the sky grows clear
and blue again after the storm?
o multi-colored multiform
beloved beauty over me
that i shall never never see
again! spring-silver autumn-gold
that i shall never more behold!
sleeping your myriad magics through
close-sepulchred away from you!
o God i cried give me new birth
and put me back upon the earth!
upset each cloud's gigantic gourd
and let the heavy rain down-poured
in one big torrent set me free
washing my grave away from me!



By the Way - Thersites - did I mention that
this one's for you?