By Ron Crooker

Mr. and Mrs. Anonymous Speak – February XVII

In A Treasury of Favorite Poems, published in 1871, there appeared two poems written by our friend Anonymous. I thought I would offer them here to help commence the New Year. One speaks of departing this life and the other speaks of smoking, as a method of getting to depart this life. I guess one might say they offer some food for thought. Ron Crooker

“When the Grass Shall Cover Me”

When the grass shall cover me,

Head to foot where I am lying;

When not any wind that blows,

Summer blooms or winter snows,

Shall wake me to your sighing;

Close above me as you pass,

You will say, “How kind she was,”

You will say “How true she was,”

When the grass grows over me.

When the grass shall cover me,

Holden close to Earth’s warm bosom;

While I laugh or weep or sing

Nevermore for anything;

You will find in blade and blossom,

Sweet, small voices, odorous,

Tender pleaders in my cause,

That shall speak me as I was –

When the grass grows over me.

When the grass shall cover me!

Ah, beloved, in my sorrow

Very patient, I can wait –

Knowing that or soon or late,

There will dawn a clearer morrow;

When your heart will moan, “Alas!

Now I know how true she was;

Now I know how dear she was” –

When the grass grows over me!

The Indian Weed

This Indian weed, now withered quite,

Though green at noon, cut down at night,

Shows thy decay –

All flesh is hay –

Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

The pipe, so lily-like and weak

Does thus thy mortal state bespeak;

Thou art e’en such-

Gone with a touch;

Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

And when the smoke ascends on high,

Thou then behold’st the vanity

Of worldly stuff –

Gone with a puff –

Thus think, and smoke tobacco.

And when the pipe grows foul within,

Think on thy soul defiled with sin;

For then the fire

It does require;

Thus think and smoke tobacco.

And seest the ashes cast away,

Thou, to thyself thou mayest say

That to the dust

Return thou must;

Thus think and smoke tobacco.

　Reach Ron by email to comment: warann1@verizon.net

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