I br Maryland, Virginia, Caroline br Pent images in sleep br Clay valleys rocky hills old fields of pine br Unspeakable and deep br br Out of that source of time my farthest blood br Runs strangely to this day br Unkempt the fathers waste in solitude br Under the hills of clay br br Far from their woe fled to its thither side br To a river in Tennessee br In an alien house I will stay br Yet find their breath to be br All that my stars betide- br There some time to abide br Took wife and child with me, br br II br When it is all over and the blood br Runs out, do not bury this man br By the far river (where never stood br His fathers) flowing to the West, br But take him East where life began. br my brothers, there is rest br In the depths of an eastward river br That I can understand; only br Do not think the truth we hold br I hold the slighter for this lonely br Reservation of the heart: br Men cannot live forever br But they must die forever br So take this body at sunset br To the great stream whose pulses start br In the blue hills, and let br These ashes drift from the Long Bridge br Where only a late gull breaks br That deep and populous grave. br br III br By the great river the forefathers to beguile br Them, being inconceivably young, carved out br Deep hollows of memory on a river isle br Now lost-their murmur the ghost of a shout br br In the hollows where the forefathers br Without beards, their faces bright and long, br Lay down at sunset by the cool river br In the tall willows amid birdsong; br br And the long sleep by the cool river br They've slept full and long, till now the air br Waits twilit for their echo; the burning shiver br Of August strikes like a hawk the crouching hare.