| |
| ON Kingston Bridge the starlight shone | |
| Through hurrying mists in shrouded glow; | |
| The boding night-wind made its moan, | |
| The mighty river crept below. | |
| ’T was All Souls’ night, and to and fro | 5 |
| The quick and dead together walked, | |
| The quick and dead together talked, | |
| On Kingston Bridge. | |
| |
| Two met who had not met for years; | |
| Once was their hate too deep for fears: | 10 |
| One drew his rapier as he came, | |
| Upleapt his anger like a flame. | |
| With clash of mail he faced his foe, | |
| And bade him stand and meet him so. | |
| He felt a graveyard wind go by | 15 |
| Cold, cold as was his enemy. | |
| A stony horror held him fast. | |
| The Dead looked with a ghastly stare, | |
| And sighed “I know thee not,” and passed | |
| Like to the mist, and left him there | 20 |
| On Kingston Bridge. | |
| |
| ’T was All Souls’ night, and to and fro | |
| The quick and dead together walked, | |
| The quick and dead together talked, | |
| On Kingston Bridge. | 25 |
| |
| Two met who had not met for years: | |
| With grief that was too deep for tears | |
| They parted last. | |
| He clasped her hand, and in her eyes | |
| He sought Love’s rapturous surprise. | 30 |
| “Oh Sweet!” he cried, “hast thou come back | |
| To say thou lov’st thy lover still?” | |
| —Into the starlight, pale and cold, | |
| She gazed afar,—her hand was chill: | |
| “Dost thou remember how we kept | 35 |
| Our ardent vigils?—how we kissed?— | |
| Take thou these kisses as of old!” | |
| An icy wind about him swept; | |
| “I know thee not,” she sighed, and passed | |
| Into the dim and shrouding mist | 40 |
| On Kingston Bridge. | |
| |
| ’T was All Souls’ night, and to and fro | |
| The quick and dead together walked, | |
| The quick and dead together talked, | |
| On Kingston Bridge. | 45 |
| |
