—Anonymous
THE HAUNTER
—Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)
He does not think that I haunt here nightly:
How shall I let him know
That whither his fancy sets him wandering
I, too, alertly go?—
Hover and hover a few feet from him
Just as I used to do,
But cannot answer the words he lifts me—
Only listen thereto!
When I could answer he did not say them:
When I could let him know
How I would like to join in his journeys
Seldom he wished to go.
Now that he goes and wants me with him
More than he used to do,
Never he sees my faithful phantom
Though he speaks thereto.
Yes, I companion him to places
Only dreamers know,
Where the shy hares print long paces,
Where the night rooks go;
Into old aisles where the past is all to him,
Close as his shade can do,
Always lacking the power to call to him,
Near as I reach thereto!
What a good haunter I am, O tell him,
Quickly make him know
If he but sigh since my loss befell him
Straight to his side I go.
Tell him a faithful one is doing
All that love can do
Still that his path may be worth pursuing,
And to bring peace thereto.
____________________
Such a sad poem: the loved one still by his side, but he doesn’t know it. Our thanks to Thomas Hardy for an interesting twist on the seasonal theme of ghostliness.
Today from 10am-12pm is the Fall Wakamatsu Poetry Workshop at Wakamatsu Farm in Placerville, facilitated by Taylor Graham and Katy Brown, and sponsored by American River Conservancy. Info is at www.arconservancy.org/event/capturing-wakamatsu-a-poetry-walk-workshop-2/, and I’m told you can just show up, too! Scroll down to the blue column (under the green column at the right) for info about this and other upcoming poetry events in our area—and note that more may be added at the last minute.
For more about Thomas Hardy, go to www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/thomas-hardy/. To hear it read, see www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-haunter/.
—Medusa, celebrating poets of the past ~ and ghosts of the present!
—Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)
He does not think that I haunt here nightly:
How shall I let him know
That whither his fancy sets him wandering
I, too, alertly go?—
Hover and hover a few feet from him
Just as I used to do,
But cannot answer the words he lifts me—
Only listen thereto!
When I could answer he did not say them:
When I could let him know
How I would like to join in his journeys
Seldom he wished to go.
Now that he goes and wants me with him
More than he used to do,
Never he sees my faithful phantom
Though he speaks thereto.
Yes, I companion him to places
Only dreamers know,
Where the shy hares print long paces,
Where the night rooks go;
Into old aisles where the past is all to him,
Close as his shade can do,
Always lacking the power to call to him,
Near as I reach thereto!
What a good haunter I am, O tell him,
Quickly make him know
If he but sigh since my loss befell him
Straight to his side I go.
Tell him a faithful one is doing
All that love can do
Still that his path may be worth pursuing,
And to bring peace thereto.
____________________
Such a sad poem: the loved one still by his side, but he doesn’t know it. Our thanks to Thomas Hardy for an interesting twist on the seasonal theme of ghostliness.
Today from 10am-12pm is the Fall Wakamatsu Poetry Workshop at Wakamatsu Farm in Placerville, facilitated by Taylor Graham and Katy Brown, and sponsored by American River Conservancy. Info is at www.arconservancy.org/event/capturing-wakamatsu-a-poetry-walk-workshop-2/, and I’m told you can just show up, too! Scroll down to the blue column (under the green column at the right) for info about this and other upcoming poetry events in our area—and note that more may be added at the last minute.
For more about Thomas Hardy, go to www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/thomas-hardy/. To hear it read, see www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-haunter/.
—Medusa, celebrating poets of the past ~ and ghosts of the present!
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