Habeas Corpus Analysis

1My body, eh? Friend Death, how now?
2Why all this tedious pomp of writ?
3Thou hast reclaimed it sure and slow
4For half a century bit by bit.

5In faith thou knowest more to-day
6Than I do, where it can be found!
7This shrivelled lump of suffering clay,
8To which I am now chained and bound,

9Has not of kith or kin a trace
10To the good body once I bore;
11Look at this shrunken, ghastly face:
12Didst ever see that face before?

13Ah, well, friend Death, good friend thou art;
14Thy only fault thy lagging gait,
15Mistaken pity in thy heart
16For timorous ones that bid thee wait.

17Do quickly all thou hast to do,
18Nor I nor mine will hindrance make;
19I shall be free when thou art through;
20I grudge thee nought that thou must take!

21Stay! I have lied; I grudge thee one,
22Yes, two I grudge thee at this last,--
23Two members which have faithful done
24My will and bidding in the past.

25I grudge thee this right hand of mine;
26I grudge thee this quick-beating heart;
27They never gave me coward sign,
28Nor played me once the traitor's part.

29I see now why in olden days
30Men in barbaric love or hate
31Nailed enemies' hands at wild crossways,
32Shrined leaders' hearts in costly state:

33The symbol, sign and instrument
34Of each soul's purpose, passion, strife,
35Of fires in which are poured and spent
36Their all of love, their all of life.

37O feeble, mighty human hand!
38O fragile, dauntless human heart!
39The universe holds nothing planned
40With such sublime, transcendent art!

41Yes, Death, I own I grudge thee mine
42Poor little hand, so feeble now;
43Its wrinkled palm, its altered line,
44Its veins so pallid and so slow --

***(Unfinished here.)

45Ah, well, friend Death, good friend thou art;
46I shall be free when thou art through.
47Take all there is -- take hand and heart;
48There must be somewhere work to do.

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