| Jessie B. Rittenhouse, ed. (1869–1948). The Second Book of Modern Verse. 1922. |
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| Irish Love Song |
| | | Margaret Widdemer |
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| WELL, if the thing is over, better it is for me, | |
| The lad was ever a rover, loving and laughing free, | |
| Far too clever a lover not to be having still | |
| A lass in the town and a lass by the road and a lass by the farther hill— | |
| Love on the field and love on the path and love in the woody glen— | 5 |
| (Lad, will I never see you, never your face again?) | |
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| Ay, if the thing is ending, now I’ll be getting rest, | |
| Saying my prayers and bending down to be stilled and blest, | |
| Never the days are sending hope till my heart is sore | |
| For a laugh on the path and a voice by the gate and a step on the shieling floor— | 10 |
| Grief on my ways and grief on my work and grief till the evening’s dim— | |
| (Lord, will I never hear it, never a sound of him?) | |
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| Sure if it’s done forever, better for me that’s wise, | |
| Never the hurt, and never tears in my aching eyes, | |
| No more the trouble ever to hide from my asking folk | 15 |
| Beat of my heart at click o’ the latch, and throb if his name is spoke; | |
| Never the need to hide the sighs and the flushing thoughts and the fret, | |
| And after awhile my heart will hush and my hungering hands forget … | |
| Peace on my ways, and peace in my step, and maybe my heart grown light— | |
| (Mary, helper of heartbreak, send him to me to-night!) | 20 |
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