The Water-Nymph and the Boy

By Roden Berkeley Wriothesley Noel

1834-1894


I FLUNG me round him,
I drew him under;
I clung, I drown'd him,
My own white wonder!...

         Father and mother,
         Weeping and wild,
         Came to the forest,
         Calling the child,
         Came from the palace,
         Down to the pool,
         Calling my darling,
         My beautiful!
         Under the water,
         Cold and so pale!
         Could it be love made
         Beauty to fail?

         Ah me for mortals!
         In a few moons,
         If I had left him,
         After some Junes
         He would have faded,
         Faded away,
         He, the young monarch, whom
         All would obey,
         Fairer than day;
         Alien to springtime,
         Joyless and gray,
         He would have faded,
         Faded away,
         Moving a mockery,
         Scorn'd of the day!
         Now I have taken him
         All in his prime,
         Saved from slow poisoning
         Pitiless Time,
         Fill'd with his happiness,
         One with the prime,
         Saved from the cruel
         Dishonour of Time.
         Laid him, my beautiful,
         Laid him to rest,
         Loving, adorable,
         Softly to rest,
         Here in my crystalline,
         Here in my breast!

DayPoems Poem No. 751
<a href="http://www.daypoems.net/poems/751.html">The Water-Nymph and the Boy by Roden Berkeley Wriothesley Noel</a>

The DayPoems Poetry Collection, www.daypoems.net
Timothy Bovee, editor

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