The Old Maids Story

Ay, many and many a year’s gone by,

Since the dawn of that day in spring,

When we met in the pine-woods, Harry and I,

And he gave me this golden ring.

I had lovers in plenty, of high degree,

Who wooed in my father’s hall;

But none were so noble and brave as he,

Though he was the scorn’d of all.

On the soft, green grass, where the shadows lay,

All fleck’d with the sun and dew,

With a ring and a kiss did we seal, that day,

Our vow to be leal and true.

‘Twas a life-long vow;-but they did not know-

And they thought not of love or pain;-

We met just once in the sleet and snow-

We were never to meet again!

He was sent away o’er the blank, wide sea,

And I, with my hopes and fears,

Had never a message to comfort me

For over a score of years.

They laugh’d at my heart, they paraded my hand,

But I answer’d them, cold and grim-

“If Harry ne’er comes to his native land,

They shall only belong to him.”

At last came a tale from the battle-field;-

And they were not scornful now.

The sentence of exile might be repealed-

They would honour our plighted vow!

They told how my Harry, like olden knights,

Had fought for his land and Queen;

Fought hard and well on the Alma heights,

Where the deadliest strife was seen.

They told how he fell in the fire and smoke,

And they gave me his things to keep;

They wonder’d why I never cried or spoke,-

But it was too late to weep.

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External links

Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus

Talking Writing Monster’s Page –

Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh

Poems in English 

• Look not in my eyes, for fear poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Loitering with a Vacant Eye poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Loitering with a Vacant Eye poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• It Nods and Curtseys and Recovers poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Into My Heart an Air that Kills poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• In My Own Shire, If I Was Sad poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• In My Own Shire, If I Was Sad poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• If Truth in Hearts That Perish poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• If By Chance Your Eye Offend You poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• If By Chance Your Eye Offend You poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• I Hoed and Trenched and Weeded poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• I Hoed and Trenched and Weeded poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Hughley Steeple poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Hughley Steeple poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Ho, everyone that thirsteth poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Ho, everyone that thirsteth poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Here Dead We Lie poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• From Far, From Eve and Morning poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• From Far, From Eve and Morning poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman
• Fragment of a Greek Tragedy poem – A. E. Housman by Alfred Edward Houseman

More external links (open in a new tab):

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Doska or the Board – write anything

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Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.

Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees

Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.

Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.

 

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