THE FOUR boards of the coffin lid
Heard all the dead man did.
The first curse was in his mouth,
Made of grave-s mould and deadly drouth.
The next curse was in his head,
Made of God-s work discomfited.
The next curse was in his hands,
Made out of two grave-bands.
The next curse was in his feet,
Made out of a grave-sheet.
-I had fair coins red and white,
And my name was as great light;
I had fair clothes green and red,
And strong gold bound round my head.
But no meat comes in my mouth,
Now I fare as the worm doth;
And no gold binds in my hair,
Now I fare as the blind fare.
My live thews were of great strength,
Now am I waxen a span-s length;
My live sides were full of lust,
Now are they dried with dust.â?
The first board spake and said:
-Is it best eating flesh or bread?â?
The second answered it:
-Is wine or honey the more sweet?â?
The third board spake and said:
-Is red gold worth a girl-s gold head?â?
The fourth made answer thus:
-All these things are as one with us.â?
The dead man asked of them:
-Is the green land stained brown with flame?
Have they hewn my son for beasts to eat,
And my wife-s body for beasts- meat?
Have they boiled my maid in a brass pan,
And built a gallows to hang my man?â?
The boards said to him:
-This is a lewd thing that ye deem.
Your wife has gotten a golden bed,
All the sheets are sewn with red.
Your son has gotten a coat of silk,
The sleeves are soft as curded milk.
Your maid has gotten a kirtle new,
All the skirt has braids of blue.
Your man has gotten both ring and glove,
Wrought well for eyes to love.â?
The dead man answered thus:
-What good gift shall God give us?â?
The boards answered him anon:
-Flesh to feed hell-s worm upon.â?
After Death
Algernon Charles Swinburne
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Poem topics: girl, hair, light, lust, strength, work, blue, sweet, white, good, answer, brown, strong, milk, honey, feed, skirt, flame, bread, blind, Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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