18 April 2006 | Vol. 6, No. 1

On That Day

  On that day

I shall put roses on roses, and cover your grave

With multitude of white roses: and since you were brave

  One bright red ray.


  So people, passing under

The ash-trees of the valley-road, will raise

Their eyes and look at the grave on the hill, in wonder,

  Wondering mount, and put the flowers asunder


  To see whose praise

Is blazoned here so white and so bloodily red.

Then they will say: "'Tis long since she is dead,

  Who has remembered her after many days?"


  And standing there

They will consider how you went your ways

Unnoticed among them, a still queen lost in the maze

  Of this earthly affair.


  A queen, they'll say,

Has slept unnoticed on a forgotten hill.

Sleeps on unknown, unnoticed there, until

  Dawns my insurgent day.

About the author:

1885-1930. David Herbert Lawrence was a prolific and controversial English writer in the early 20th century. His most famous novels include Sons and Lovers, Women in Love, and Lady Chatterley's Lover. More information about Lawrence's work and life is available at Wikipedia.

For further reading:

See the complete list of work by D. H. Lawrence at 42opus. Browse the contents of 42opus Vol. 6, No. 1, where "On That Day" ran on April 18, 2006. List other work with these same labels: poetry, classic, rhyme.

42opus is an online magazine of the literary arts.

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