The Death Bed
All the time they were prayingHe watched the shadow of a treeFlicker on the wall.There is no need of prayer.He said,No need at all.The kin-folk thought it strangeThat he should ask them from a dying bed.But they left all in a rowAnd it seemed to ease himTo see them go.There were some who kept on prayingIn a room across the hallAnd some who listened to the breezeThat made the shadows waverOn the wall.He tried his nerveOn a song he knewAnd made an empty noteThat might have come,From a bird’s harsh throat.And all the time it worried himThat they were in there prayingAnd all the time he wonderedWhat it was they could be saying.
All the time they were prayingHe watched the shadow of a treeFlicker on the wall.There is no need of prayer.He said,No need at all.The kin-folk thought it strangeThat he should ask them from a dying bed.But they left all in a rowAnd it seemed to ease himTo see them go.There were some who kept on prayingIn a room across the hallAnd some who listened to the breezeThat made the shadows waverOn the wall.He tried his nerveOn a song he knewAnd made an empty noteThat might have come,From a bird’s harsh throat.And all the time it worried himThat they were in there prayingAnd all the time he wonderedWhat it was they could be saying.
All the time they were prayingHe watched the shadow of a treeFlicker on the wall.
All the time they were praying
He watched the shadow of a tree
Flicker on the wall.
There is no need of prayer.He said,No need at all.
There is no need of prayer.
He said,
No need at all.
The kin-folk thought it strangeThat he should ask them from a dying bed.But they left all in a rowAnd it seemed to ease himTo see them go.
The kin-folk thought it strange
That he should ask them from a dying bed.
But they left all in a row
And it seemed to ease him
To see them go.
There were some who kept on prayingIn a room across the hallAnd some who listened to the breezeThat made the shadows waverOn the wall.
There were some who kept on praying
In a room across the hall
And some who listened to the breeze
That made the shadows waver
On the wall.
He tried his nerveOn a song he knewAnd made an empty noteThat might have come,From a bird’s harsh throat.
He tried his nerve
On a song he knew
And made an empty note
That might have come,
From a bird’s harsh throat.
And all the time it worried himThat they were in there prayingAnd all the time he wonderedWhat it was they could be saying.
And all the time it worried him
That they were in there praying
And all the time he wondered
What it was they could be saying.
Waring Cuney.