"Song"
She sat and sang alwayBy the green margin of the stream,
Watching the fishes leap and play
Beneath the glad sunbeam.
I sat and wept alway
Beneath the moon’s most shadowy beam,
Watching the blossoms of the May
Weep leaves into the stream.
I wept for memory;
She sang for hope that is so fair:
My tears were swallowed by the sea;
Her songs died on the air.
-Christina Rosetti, 1848
“Type”
She sat and typed alwayBy the blue pixels of the screen,
Watching characters dodge and sway
Beneath binary beam.
I sat and wrote alway
Beneath solar lamp glaring gleam,
Watching the pages of the day
Sweep paper sheaves to ream.
I wrote for ennui;
She typed for grades beyond compare:
My thoughts were digitized debris;
Her rank had not a pray’r.
-Laura Kean, 2009
“Song”
When I am dead, my dearest,Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget.
I shall not see the shadows,
I shall not feel the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on, as if in pain:
And dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.
-Christina Rosetti, 1848
“Type”
When you are dead, my dearest,Who says I’ll write to you;
Plan to wear my furious face,
But you won’t have a clue:
With velvet lid above you
Most silent you’ve sat yet;
Your voice I’ll not remember,
Your voice I can’t forget.
I will note your many flaws,
I’ll note the wrinkled tie;
I will note the darkened flowers
Stink still under blue sky:
And fuming through the churchyard
Expectations ne’er met,
Maybe I will remember,
Maybe I can forget.
-Laura Kean, 2009
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