2 APRIL 1921, Page 15

POETRY.

EMBROIDERY.

AN ANCIENT Two men, with- spotted- dogs, coursing a hare—

How she doth fly !

Two men, with large cross- bows, chasing a deer—

Why should both die ? Like hare, like deer, we may wriggle and writhe, But we cannot escape from the Man with the.Scythe.

Two men; with money-bags, counting their gold—

They love-it-so !

Two men—in- spite of it—laid in the mould—

They had to go !

In mould ! For gold, it will not pay the tithe.

" You must . leave that be- hind," says the Man - with the Scythe. Two men, with unclean

thoughts filling each mind—

Victims of sin ;

Expostulations. must, with all their kind,

Answer His grin.

" Bid we • are so young, so motive -and lithe."

"Will you argue the point ? " says the Man with the Scythe.

Two ships, with costly freights, dancing along—

All their sails set ;

Blue skies—and all on board jocund with song—

But, they forget Frozen . with terror—in sight of their hithe They are swept back to sea by the Man with the Scythe.

Envoi.

'Tis only on the very brink We shudder back, and of Death think. G. v. H.