Death & Dying

August

by Francis Ledwidge 1887–1917

From Songs of Peace (1917)

Death & DyingNature

She'll come at dusky first of day,
White over yellow harvest's song.
Upon her dewy rainbow way
She shall be beautiful and strong.
The lidless eye of noon shall spray
Tan on her ankles in the hay,
Shall kiss her brown the whole day long.

I'll know her in the windrows, tall
Above the crickets of the hay.
I'll know her when her odd eyes fall,
One May-blue, one November-grey.
I'll watch her from the red barn wall
Take down her rusty scythe, and call,
And I will follow her away.

✦ ✦ ✦

A reaper-like figure comes at dusk over the yellow harvest; the speaker watches her from the red barn wall take down her rusty scythe and call, and 'I will follow her away'.

MLA

Ledwidge, Francis. “August.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/ledwidge/14/.

Chicago

Ledwidge, Francis. “August.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/ledwidge/14/.

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