This one is too long to find on a graphic. I loved it so much from High school that I have always kept is as a fave,
The Stone
By WILFRID WILSON GIBSON
“And will you cut a stone for him, To set above his head? And will you cut a stone for him– A stone for him?” she said.
Three days before, a splintered rock Had struck her lover dead– Had struck him in the quarry dead, Where, careless of a warning call, He loitered, while the shot was fired– A lively stripling, brave and tall, And sure of all his heart desired . . . A flash, a shock, A rumbling fall . . . And, broken ‘neath the broken rock, A lifeless heap, with face of clay, And still as any stone he lay, With eyes that saw the end of all.
I went to break the news to her: And I could hear my own heart beat With dread of what my lips might say; But some poor fool had sped before; And, flinging wide her father’s door, Had blurted out the news to her, Had struck her lover dead for her, Had struck the girl’s heart dead in her, Had struck life, lifeless, at a word, And dropped it at her feet: Then hurried on his witless way, Scarce knowing she had heard.
And when I came, she stood alone– A woman, turned to stone: And, though no word at all she said, I knew that all was known.
Because her heart was dead, She did not sigh nor moan. His mother wept: She could not weep. Her lover slept: She could not sleep. Three days, three nights, She did not stir: Three days, three nights, Were one to her, Who never closed her eyes From sunset to sunrise, From dawn to evenfall– Her tearless, staring eyes, That, seeing naught, saw all.
The fourth night when I came from work, I found her at my door. “And will you cut a stone for him?” She said: and spoke no more: But followed me, as I went in, And sank upon a chair; And fixed her grey eyes on my face, With still, unseeing stare. And, as she waited patiently, I could not bear to feel Those still, grey eyes that followed me, Those eyes that plucked the heart from me, Those eyes that sucked the breath from me And curdled the warm blood in me, Those eyes that cut me to the bone, And cut my marrow like cold steel.
And so I rose and sought a stone; And cut it smooth and square: And, as I worked, she sat and watched, Beside me, in her chair. Night after night, by candlelight, I cut her lover’s name: Night after night, so still and white, And like a ghost she came; And sat beside me, in her chair, And watched with eyes aflame.
She eyed each stroke, And hardly stirred: she never spoke A single word: And not a sound or murmur broke The quiet, save the mallet stroke.
With still eyes ever on my hands, With eyes that seemed to burn my hands, My wincing, overwearied hands, She watched, with bloodless lips apart, And silent, indrawn breath: And every stroke my chisel cut, Death cut still deeper in her heart: The two of us were chiselling, Together, I and Death.
And when at length my job was done, And I had laid the mallet by, As if, at last, her peace were won, She breathed his name, and, with a sigh, Passed slowly through the open door: And never crossed my threshold more.
Next night I laboured late, alone, To cut her name upon the stone.
Today’s Prompt was a fill in the blank. “In the (Blank)”. Those that are my facebook friends have seen me trying to do to-do lists the last few days. They are never long…usually four or five items…but it wears me out. So I am fighting exhaustion and trying to celebrate my wins.
The laundry is caught up.
Dishes are nearly there.
Bathrooms are clean. (Well the two that I can get to)
The laundry room is clean.
All the clothes are folded…not put away yet, but folded.
My bedroom is halfway there.
Joe’s room is clean.
I have finished Layout on all but one of the Kid’s books for kid’s week(The final one is waiting on the illustrator. He had a cord malfunction and couldn’t send in the art yet. Poor guy)
I have started getting preorders set up for the kid’s week books. *Links will be in a post on the Fae Corps blog when I finish the getting of the preorder links….
I have written a poem a day for everyday in November so far and got a little bit of a word count in Sea Wytch.
I did my grocery shopping for November. And came in under budget.
I have started my christmas shopping.
I made it to therapy.
I have remembered my medicine over half of the time…(I set another set of reminders on my phone…seriously the only reason I remember to eat half of the time is the dizzy feeling I get when I forget.)
I have stayed Hydrated…
See I am killing this…even if there are days when my body says I am killing me. I created a to-do list for self care. So far it has morning and night meds, and art…(Therapist said art was self care!)
What did you do today? Let us celebrate the win together.