‘My Heart and I’ By EBB (for Aoife)

RIP Aoife O Brien ( June 23rd 1970-May 1st 2010)

I.

“Enough! we’re tired my heart and I.
We sit beside the headstone thus,
And wish that the name were carved for us.
The moss reprints more tenderly
The hard types of the Mason’s knife,
As heaven’s sweet life renews earth’s
life,
with which we are tired, my heart and I.

II.

You see we’re tired, my heart and I.
We dealt with books, we trusted men,
And in our own blood drenched the
pen,
As if such colours could not fly.
We walked too straight for fortune’s
end,
We loved too true to keep a friend;
At last we’re tired, my heart and I.

III.

How tired we feel, my heart and I!
We seem of no use in the world;
Our fancies hang grey and uncurled
About men’s eye’s indifferently;
Our voice which thrilled you so, will
let
You sleep; our tears are only wet:
What do we do here, my heart and I ?

IV.

So tired, so tired, my heart and I !
It was not thus in that old time
When Ralph sate with me ‘neath the
lime
To watch the sun set from the sky.
‘dear love you are looking tired’, he
said;
I, smiling at him, shook my head:
‘Tis now we’re tired, my heart and I.

V.

So tired, so tired, my heart and I !
Though now none takes me on his arm
to fold me close and kiss me warm
Till each quick breath end in a sigh
of happy langour. Now alone,
We lean upon this graveyard stone,
Uncheered, unkissed, my heart and I.

VI.

Tired out we are my heart and I.
Suppose the world brought diadems
To tempt us, crusted with loose gems
of powers and pleasures? Let it try.
We scarcely care to look at even
A pretty child, or God’s blue heaven,
We feel so tired, my heart and I.

VII.

Yet who complains ? My heart and I?
In this abundant earth no doubt
Is little room for things worn out:
Disdain them, break them, throw them by.
And if before the days grew rough
We once were loved, used- well
enough,
I think, we’ve fared, my heart and I. ”

E.B.B

Aoife O Brien, June 23rd 1970- May 1st 2010