Heraclitus by William Johnson Cory

They told me, Heraclitus, they told me you were dead,
They brought me bitter news to hear and bitter tears to shed.
I wept, as I remembered, how often you and I
Had tired the sun with talking and sent him down the sky.

And now that thou art lying, my dear old Carian guest,
A handful of grey ashes, long long ago at rest,
Still are thy pleasant voices, thy nightingales, awake;
For Death, he taketh all away, but them he cannot take.

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The Three K’s by Dennis Allen Lange

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A Kennedy, a Kennedy, and King –
Three K’s for strikes and all were struck, struck out.
A nation also felt the bullets’ sting.

Before the wheat was ripe, the sickle’s swing
Cut through the taller heads a deadly route –
A Kennedy, a Kennedy, and King.

Each had a following to closely cling
To them, and ‘cause they were deeply devout,
A nation also felt the bullets’ sting.

To be a vital part, then from us wring
Brought tears to eyes, e’en those dried up in drought
For Kennedy, a Kennedy, and King.

The bells, the solemn bells for them did ring
And stilled the song and buried ev’ry shout –
A nation also felt the bullets’ sting.

A deadly fall and summer, deadly spring
In years so close we suffered from the clout –
A Kennedy, a Kennedy, and King
And nation also felt the bullets’ sting.

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photo from Wikipedia

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© Dennis Allen Lange and thebardonthehill.wordpress.com, 2017.

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At Noon – And Midnight by James Whitcomb Riley

Far in the night, and yet no rest for him! The pillow next his own
The wife’s sweet face in slumber pressed – yet he awake – alone! alone!
In vain he courted sleep; – one thought would ever in his heart arise, –
The harsh words that at noon had brought the tear-drops to her eyes.

Slowly on lifted arm he raised and listened. All was still as death;
He touched her forehead as he gazed, and listened yet, with bated breath:
Still silently, as though he prayed, his lips moved lightly as she slept –
For God was with him, and he laid his face with hers and wept.

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