Poems (Henley)/On the way to Kew
XXXVIII
On the way to Kew,By the river old and gray,Where in the Long AgoWe laughed and loitered so,I met a ghost to-day,A ghost that told of you—A ghost of low repliesAnd sweet, inscrutable eyesComing up from RichmondAs you used to do.
By the river old and gray,The enchanted Long AgoMurmured and smiled anew.On the way to Kew,March had the laugh of May,The bare boughs looked aglow,And old, immortal wordsSang in my breast like birds,Coming up from RichmondAs I used with you. With the life of Long AgoLived my thought of you.By the river old and grayFlowing his appointed wayAs I watched I knewWhat is so good to know—Not in vain, not in vain,Shall I look for you againComing up from RichmondOn the way to Kew.