Death and Birth
Death and birth should dwell not near together:Wealth keeps house not, even for shame, with dearth:Fate doth ill to link in one brief tetherDeath and birth.
Harsh the yoke that binds them, strange the girthSeems that girds them each with each: yet whetherDeath be best, who knows, or life on earth?
Ill the rose-red and the sable featherBlend in one crown's plume, as grief with mirth:Ill met still are warm and wintry weather,Death and birth.
Sign in to like, rate and collect poems, and keep track of what you've read.