Iv

October chestnuts showered their perishing gold Over us as beside the stream we lay In the Old Vicarage garden that blue day, Talking of verse and all the manifold Delights a little net of words may hold, While in the sunlight water-voles at play Dived under a trailing crimson bramble-spray, And walnuts thudded ripe on soft black mould.

Your soul goes down unto a darker stream Alone, O friend, yet even in death's deep night Your eyes may grow accustomed to the dark And Styx for you may have the ripple and gleam Of your familiar river, and Charon's bark Tarry by that old garden of your delight.

--Wilfrid Wilson Gibson, 1916.

To Rupert Brooke

Though we, a happy few, Indubitably knew That from the purple came This poet of pure flame,

The world first saw his light Flash on an evil night, And heard his song from far Above the drone of war.

Out of the primal dark He leapt, like lyric lark, Singing his aubade strain; Then fell to earth again.

We garner all he gave, And on his hero grave, For love and honour strew, Rosemary, myrtle, rue.

Son of the Morning, we Had kept you thankfully; But yours the asphodel: Hail, singer, and farewell!

--Eden Phillpotts, from 'Plain Song, 1914-1916'.