Do you ever seek out haunting poetry some mornings to soothe your melancholic heart? Oh no, just me? Ah well, it does my little gothic heart good to read a lovely spooky poem, and this one does not disappoint. Without further ado…
The Unquiet Grave
by Anonymous
“The wind doth blow today, my love,
And a few small drops of rain;
I never had but one true-love,
In cold grave she was lain.
“I’ll do as much for my true-love
As any young man may;
I’ll sit and mourn all at her grave
For a twelvemonth and a day.”
The twelvemonth and a day being up,
The dead began to speak:
“Oh who sits weeping on my grave,
And will not let me sleep?”
“’T is I, my love, sits on your grave,
And will not let you sleep;
For I crave one kiss of your clay-cold lips,
And that is all I seek.”
“You crave one kiss of my clay-cold lips,
But my breath smells earthy strong;
If you have one kiss of my clay-cold lips,
Your time will not be long.
“’T is down in yonder garden green,
Love, where we used to walk,
The finest flower that e’re was seen
Is withered to a stalk.
“The stalk is withered dry, my love,
So will our hearts decay;
So make yourself content, my love,
Till God calls you away.”
I can’t help but think of this poem as a fairy tale in reverse. Instead of waking up the princess with a kiss, he’ll seal his own fate of death. She said he’d surely die if he got one kiss from her. It’s a sad poem full of devotion, love, and the difficulty of letting go. The ghostly princess tells her love to go on and be content. Their hearts will meet again someday. Such a sweet reminder that love never dies. It transcends this life to the next.
If you like poems like this one, you may enjoy “Memory Haunted” by Luther G. Riggs.
