Poems by Themis

For the Dead

Those who are dead — the swift and strong,

Free riders of the wind,

Have gone, as beautiful as song

And left their death behind.

Left it to us; and the wild pride

Of air which knew their breath.

And we must think our earth enskied

And lovelier for their death!...

It should be so; yet foolishly

We weep that they are gone.

They took all Beauty on the sly,

All secret battles won.

"Because lives drop like petals, they

Can't but be beautiful",

Insists the breeze in mock dismay,

Preaching its sweeping rule.

Yet it is true, beyond Death's bar

We roamed as children roam;

They had to die for us, afar,

To bring their beauty home.

But all is empty now, so we

Must make our heart's great lie

A burning ground, and let the free

Dead dance there when they die.

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