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FRST TÎM IN
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Aftr ɖ dred têlz n red yarnz v ɖ Lîn
Enʈñ mt hv cm t s; bt ɖ dvîn
Afṭglo bròt s p t a Wlś coḷni
Hîdñ in sandbag dićz, ẃisṗrñ cnsoḷtri
Soft foṛn ʈñz. Đen w wr tecn in
T lo huts candl-lit, śêdd clos bî slitn
Ôlśīts, n ɖr bt bôz gv s cînd welcm,
So ɖt we lct ǎt az fṛm ɖ éj v hom,
Sañ s Wlś ʈñz, n ćenjd ol formr nośnz
T hymn hopfl ʈñz. N ɖ nxt de’Z gunz
Nor eni Lînpañz evr qt cd blot ǎt
Đt strenjli bytifl entri t wor’z rǎt;
Candlz ɖe gev s, preśs n śerd ovŗaśnz—
Yḷsīz faund litl mor in hiz wonḍrñz
wɖt dǎt.
‘Devid v ɖ Ẃît Roc’, ɖ ‘Slumbrsoñ’
so soft, n ɖt
Bytifl tyn t ẃć rogiś wrdz bî Wlś pitbôz
R suñ—bt nvr mor bytifl ɖn hir
undr ɖ gunz’ nôz.
♠
SPRÑ OFNSIV
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Hōltd agnst ɖ śêd v a last hil,
Ɖe féd, n, layñ īzi, wr at īz
N, fîndñ cumftbl ćests n niz
Cerlisli slept.
Bt mni ɖr std stl
T fes ɖ starc, blanc scî bynd ɖ rij,
Nwñ ɖer fīt hd cm t ɖ end v ɖ wrld.
Marṿlñ ɖe std, n woćt ɖ loñ gras swrld
Bî ɖ Me brīz, mrmṛs wɖ wosp n mij,
Fr ɖo ɖ sumr ūzd intu ɖer veinz
Lîc ɖ injctd drug fr ɖer bonz’ penz,
Śarp on ɖer soulz huñ ɖ iminnt lîn v gras,
Firf̣li flaśt ɖ scî’z mstirịs glas.
Aur aftr aur ɖe pondr ɖ worm fīld—
N ɖ far vali bhnd, ẃr ɖ butrcups
Hd blest wɖ gold ɖer slo būts cmñ p,
Ẃr īvn ɖ litl bramblz wd nt yīld,
Bt clućt n cluñ t ɖm lîc sorowñ handz;
Ɖe briɖ lîc triz unstŕd.
Tl lîc a cold gust ʈrild ɖ litl wrd
At ẃć ć bodi n its soul bgrd
N tîtn ɖm fr batl. No alarmz
V byglz, no hî flagz, no clamṛs hest—
Onli a lift n fler v îz ɖt fest
Ɖ sún, lîc a frend wɖ hūm ɖer luv z dn.
O larjr śon ɖt smîl agnst ɖ sún,—
Mîtịr ɖn hiz huz bǎnti ɖz hv sprnd.
So, sn ɖe topt ɖ hil, n rêst tgɖr
Ovr an opn streć v hrb n heɖr
Xpozd. N instntli ɖ hol scî brnd
Wɖ fyri agnst ɖm; n soft sudn cups
Opnd in ʈǎzndz fr ɖer blud; n ɖ grīn slǒps
Cazmd n stīpnd śir t infiṇt spes.
V ɖm hu runñ on ɖt last hî ples
Lept t swift unsìn bŭlits, or wnt p
On ɖ hot blast n fyri v hel’z upsrj,
Or plunjd n fél awe past ɖs wrld’z vrj,
Sm se God còt ɖm īvn bfr ɖe fél.
Bt ẃt se sć az fṛm xistns’ brinc
Vnćrd bt drev tù swift t snc.
Ɖ fy hu ruśt in ɖ bodi t entr hel,
N ɖr ǎt-fīndñ ol its fīndz n flemz
Wɖ suṗhymn inhymaṇtiz,
Loñ-feṃs gloriz, immorịl śemz—
N crōlñ slǒli bac, hv bî dgriz
Rgend cūl pīsfl er in wundr—
Ẃ spīc ɖe nt v comredz ɖt wnt undr?
♦
FYTIḶTI
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Muv him intu ɖ sún—
Jntli its tuć awouc him wns,
At hom, ẃisṗrñ v fīldz unsóun.
Olwz it wouc him, īvn in Frans,
Untl ɖs mornñ n ɖs sno.
F enʈñ mt rǎz him nǎ
Ɖ cînd old sún wl nǒ.
Ʈnc hǎ it wecs ɖ sīdz—
Wouc wns ɖ clez v a cold star.
R limz, so dir-aćivd, r sîdz
Fl-nrvd, stl worm, tù hard t str?
Wz it fr ɖs ɖ cle grù tōl?—
O ẃt md faćs súnbīmz tôl
T brec rʈ’z slīp at ol?
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DSEBLD
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H sat in a ẃīld ćer, wêtñ fr darc,
N śivrd in hiz gastli sūt v gre,
Leglis, soun śort at elbo. Ʈru ɖ parc
Vôsz v bôz rañ saḍnñ lîc a hím,
Vôsz v ple n pleźr aftr de,
Tl gaɖrñ slīp hd muɖrd ɖm fṛm him.
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Abt ɖs tîm Tǎn yst t swñ so ge
Ẃn glǒlamps budd in ɖ lît-blu triz,
N grlz glanst luvlịr az ɖ er grù dim,—
In ɖ old tîmz, bfr h ʈrù awe hiz niz.
Nǎ h wl nvr fīl agn hǎ slim
Grlz’ weists r, or hǎ worm ɖer sutl handz,
Ol v ɖm tuć him lîc sm qir dziz.
♦
Ɖr wz an artist sili fr hiz fes,
Fr it wz yungr ɖn hiz yʈ, last yir.
Nǎ, h z old; hiz bac wl nvr bres;
H’z lost hiz culr vri far fṛm hir,
Pord it dǎn śelhoulz tl ɖ veinz ran drî,
N haf hiz lîftîm lapst in ɖ hot rês
N līp v prpl sprtd fṛm hiz ʈî.
♠
Wn tîm h lîct a bludsmir dǎn hiz leg,
Aftr ɖ maćz carid śoldr-hî.
It wz aftr ftbōl, ẃn h’d drunc a peg,
H ʈt h’d betr jôn. H wundrz ẃ.
Smwn hd sd h’d lc a god in cilts.
Ɖt’s ẃ; n mbi, tù, t plīz hiz Meg,
Ai, ɖt wz it, t plīz ɖ gidi jilts,
H asct t jôn. H dd’nt hv t beg;
Smîlñ ɖe rout hiz lî: ejd nîntīn yirz.
Jrmnz h scersli ʈt v, ol ɖer gilt,
N Ostria’z, dd nt muv him. N no firz
V Fir cem yt. H ʈt v juwld hilts
Fr dagrz in pled socs; v smart s’lūts;
N cer v armz; n līv; n pe arirz;
Esprit de corps; n hints fr yuñ rcrūts.
N sn, h wz draftd ǎt wɖ drumz n ćirz.
♥
Sm ćird him hom, bt nt az crǎdz ćir Gol.
Onli a soḷm man hu bròt him frūts
Ʈanct him; n ɖen inqîrd abt hiz soul.
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Nǎ, h wl spend a fy sic yirz in insttyts,
N d ẃt ʈñz ɖ rūlz cnsidr wîz,
N tec ẃtvr piti ɖe me dǒl.
Tnît h notist hǎ ɖ wimin’z îz
Pást fṛm him t ɖ stroñ men ɖt wr hol.
Hǎ cold n lêt it z! Ẃ d’nt ɖe cm
N pt him intu bed? Ẃ d’nt ɖe cm?
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BAḶD OV Đ ƮRI SPECTRZ
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In mud n wōtr cold t ɖ ni,
Ɖr wnt ʈri jirñ, flirñ spectrz,
Ɖt wōct abrest n tōct v m.
Ɖ frst sd, ‘Hir’z a rît brev soljr
Ɖt wōcs ɖ darc unfirñli;
Sn h’l cm bac on a fîn strećr,
N lāfñ fr a nîs Blîti.’
Ɖ secnd, ‘Rīd hiz fes, old comred,
No cnd v luci ćans I si;
Wn de h’l frīz in mud t ɖ maro,
Ɖen lc hiz last on Pic̣di.’
Ɖo bitr ɖ wrd v ɖz frst twen
Crsz ɖ ʈrd spat venṃsli;
‘H’l ste untućt tl ɖ wor’z last dōnñ
Ɖn liv wn aur v aġni.’
Layrz ɖ frst tū wr. Bhold m
At slǒpñ armz bî wn – tū – ʈri;
Wêtñ ɖ tîm I śl dscuvr
Ẃɖr ɖ ʈrd speic veṛti.
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