A grey and boiling street A grey and boiling street Alive with rickety noise. Alive with rickety noise. Suddenly, a hearse, Suddenly, a hearse, Trailed by black carriages Trailed by black carriages Takes a deliberate way Takes a deliberate way Through this chasm of commerce; Through this chasm of commerce; And children look eagerly And children look eagerly To find the misery behind the shades. To find the misery behind the shades. Hired men, impatient, drive with a longing Hired men, impatient, drive with a longing To reach quickly the grave-side, the end of solemnity. To reach quickly the grave-side, the end of solemnity. Yes, let us have it over. Drive, man, drive. Yes, let us have it over. Flog your sleek-hided beasts, Drive, man, drive. Gallop-gallop-gallop. Flog your sleek-hided beasts, Let us finish it quickly. Gallop-gallop-gallop. Let us finish it quickly. Little birds of the night Aye, they have much to tell Perching there in rows Blinking at me with their serious eyes Recounting of flowers they have seen and loved Of meadows and groves of the distance And pale sands at the foot of the sea And breezes that fly in the leaves. They are vast in experience These little birds that come in the night. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...AMERICA TO GREAT BRITAIN by WASHINGTON ALLSTON WEIGHING THE BABY by ETHEL LYNN BEERS LOW BAROMETER by ROBERT SEYMOUR BRIDGES AT A SOLEMN MUSIC by JOHN MILTON ANCESTRESS by MARGUERITE JANVRIN ADAMS |