| |
| …BUT I was dead, an hour or more. | |
| I woke when I’d already passed the door | |
| That Cerberus guards, and half-way down the road | |
| To Lethe, as an old Greek signpost showed. | |
| Above me, on my stretcher swinging by, | 5 |
| I saw new stars in the subterrene sky: | |
| A Cross, a Rose in bloom, a Cage with bars, | |
| And a barbed Arrow feathered in fine stars. | |
| I felt the vapours of forgetfulness | |
| Float in my nostrils. Oh, may Heaven bless | 10 |
| Dear Lady Proserpine, who saw me wake, | |
| And, stooping over me, for Henna’s sake | |
| Cleared my poor buzzing head and sent me back | |
| Breathless, with leaping heart along the track. | |
| After me roared and clattered angry hosts | 15 |
| Of demons, heroes, and policeman-ghosts. | |
| “Life! life! I can’t be dead! I won’t be dead! | |
| Damned if I’ll die for any one!” I said…. | |
| |
| Cerberus stands and grins above me now, | |
| Wearing three heads—lion, and lynx, and sow. | 20 |
| “Quick, a revolver! But my Webley’s gone, | |
| Stolen!… No bombs … no knife…. The crowd swarms on, | |
| Bellows, hurls stones…. Not even a honeyed sop… | |
| Nothing…. Good Cerberus!… Good dog!… but stop! | |
| Stay!… A great luminous thought … I do believe | 25 |
| There’s still some morphia that I bought on leave.” | |
| Then swiftly Cerberus’ wide mouths I cram | |
| With army biscuit smeared with ration jam; | |
| |
| And sleep lurks in the luscious plum and apple. | |
| He crunches, swallows, stiffens, seems to grapple | 30 |
| With the all-powerful poppy … then a snore, | |
| A crash; the beast blocks up the corridor | |
| With monstrous hairy carcase, red and dun— | |
| Too late! for I’ve sped through. | |
| O Life! O Sun! | 35 |
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