What is he buzzing in my ears? br "Now that I come to die, br Do I view the world as a vale of tears?" br Ah, reverend sir, not I! br br What I viewed there once, what I view again br Where the physic bottles stand br On the table's edge, -is a suburb lane, br With a wall to my bedside hand. br br That lane sloped, much as the bottles do, br From a house you could descry br O'er the garden-wall: is the curtain blue br Or green to a healthy eye? br br To mine, it serves for the old June weather br Blue above lane and wall; br And that farthest bottle labelled "Ether" br Is the house o'ertopping all. br br At a terrace, somewhere near the stopper, br There watched for me, one June, br A girl; I know, sir, it's improper, br My poor mind's out of tune. br br Only, there was a way... you crept br Close by the side, to dodge br Eyes in the house, two eyes except: br They styled their house "The Lodge". br br What right had a lounger up their lane? br But, by creeping very close, br With the good wall's help, -their eyes might strain br And stretch themselves to Oes, br br Yet never catch her and me together, br As she left the attic, there, br By the rim of the bottle labelled "Ether", br And stole from stair to stair, br br And stood by the rose-wreathed gate.