His Monument
Si monumentum suum requiris, poesis sua lege.
His monument his poetry;
His words memorial enough
To illustrate his life’s ideals
And point the patterns of his mind.
His passage through the fabric of
His days was undemonstrative,
Yet left enough material
To fill the gaps between the stones
Of that poetic edifice,
(Constructed with a lucid eye
Too passionate for compromise),
He built with such devoted care.
He wrote that which he deeply felt;
His heart was tutor to his pen.
He was his words’ embodiment –
Contained within plain hard-back boards –
Both in the overall purview
Of honest style and sentiment
And to the ultimate extent
Of each care-chosen word and phrase.
His monument his poetry;
His words memorial enough
To illustrate his life’s ideals
And point the patterns of his mind.
