THE CURSE
32 lines✦
h, lay my ashes on the windThat blows across the sea.And I shall meet a fishermanOut of Capri, And he will say, seeing me,“What a strange thing!Like a fish’s scale or aButterfly’s wing.” Oh, lay my ashes on the windThat blows away the fog.And I shall meet a farmer boyLeaping through the bog, And he will say, seeing me,“What a strange thing!Like a peat-ash or aButterfly’s wing.” And I shall blow to your houseAnd, sucked against the pane,See you take your sewing upAnd lay it down again. And you will say, seeing me,“What a strange thing!Like a plum petal or aButterfly’s wing.” And none at all will know meThat knew me well before.But I will settle at the rootThat climbs about your door, And fishermen and farmersMay see me and forget,But I’ll be a bitter berryIn your brewing yet.
✦