Ah yes, Pierrette, it seems that things go ill.
Ah yes, Pierrette, you cannot hear my word.
And the dark shadow which grows darker still
Is death, Pierrette, of which you have not heard.
THE DEAD MAN IN THE POOL.
ONLY a glance it was,
Only a word!
What a romance it was
All but absurd!
All but absurd, you see,
Yes but not quite.
There’s one more word you see
“Death” we must write!
She had the knack of it
—Less than a kiss,
And for the lack of it
Look he is this.
O what a king he was
(Drowned in a pool),
What a brave thing he was
O what a fool!
While all the rest of us
Struggle to fame,
Here is the best of us
Dead with his shame.
Shame? Oh I wonder now.
What do you say?
If you should blunder now
Choose me your way!
If you’d thrown hope away;
Well would you care
Through life to grope a way?
Or would you dare
Take up the lot of it
Life, love and fame,
Make a clean shot of it
Into the flame?