Rupert
Brooke .
KINDLINESS .
W
HEN
love
has
changed
to
kindliness
V
Oh , love, our hungry
lips , that
press
So tight that
Time's
an
old
god
's
dream
Nodding
in
heaven
,
and
whisper
stuff
Seven
million
years were not
enough
To
think
on
after
,
make
it
seem
Less than
the breath
of
children
playing
,
A
blasphemy
scarce
worth
the
saying
,
A
sorry
jest
,
“
When
love has
grown
To
kindliness
—
to
kindliness
!”
.
.
.
And yet
—
the best
that
either
's
known
Will
change
,
and wither
,
and be less
,
At last
,
than
comfort
,
or
its
own
Remembrance
.
And
when
some
caress
Tendered
in
habit
(
once
a
flame
All heaven
sang out
to
)
wakes
the
shame
Unworded
,
in
the
steady
eyes
We
'll
have
that
day
,
what shall we
do
?
Being
so
noble
,
kill the two
Who
'
ve
reached
their
second
-
best
?
Being
wise
Break
cleanly
off,
and
get away
,
Follow
down
other
windier
skies
New
lures
,
alone
?
Or
shall we
stay
,
Since
this
is
all
we
'
ve
known
,
content
In
the
lean
twilight
of
such
day
,
And not
remember
,
not
lament
?
That time when
all
is
over
,
and
Hand never
finches
,
brushing
hand
;
24