Phantasmagoria and Other Poems

Canto VII — Sad Souvenaunce

What's this?" I pondered. "Have I slept?Or can I have been drinking?"But soon a gentler feeling creptUpon me, and I sat and weptAn hour or so, like winking."No need for Bones to hurry so!"I sobbed. "In fact, I doubtIf it was worth his while to go —And who is Tibbs, I'd like to know,To make such work about?"If Tibbs is anything like me,It's possible

," I said,"He won't be over-pleased to beDropped in upon at half-past three,After he's snug in bed."And if Bones plagues him anyhow —Squeaking and all the rest of it,As he was doing here just now —I prophesy there'll be a row,And Tibbs will have the best of it!"Then, as my tears could never bringThe friendly Phantom back,It seemed to me the proper thingTo mix another glass, and singThe following Coronach.

'And art thou gone, beloved Ghost?Best of familiars!Nay then, farewell, my duckling roast,Farewell, farewell, my tea and toast,My meerschaum and cigars!The hues of life are dull and gray,The sweets of life insipid,When thou, my charmer, art away —Old Brick, or rather, let me say,Old Parallelepiped!'Instead of singing Verse the Third,I ceased — abruptly, rather:

But, after such a splendid wordI felt that it would be absurdTo try it any farther.So with a yawn I went my wayTo seek the welcome downy,And slept, and dreamed till break of dayOf Poltergeist and Fetch and FayAnd Leprechaun and Brownie!For year I've not been visitedBy any kind of Sprite;Yet still they echo in my head,Those parting words, so kindly said,"Old Turnip-top, good-night!"

Echoes

LADY Clara Vere de VereWas eight years old, she said:Every ringlet, lightly shaken, ran itself in golden thread.She took her little porringer:Of me she shall not win renown:For the baseness of its nature shall have strength to drag her down."Sisters and brothers, little Maid?There stands the Inspector at thy door:Like a dog, he hunts for boys who know not two and two are four.""Kind words are more than coronets,"She said, and wondering looked at me:"It is the dead unhappy night, and I must hurry home to tea."

A Sea Dirge