Mary M. Singleton (‘Violet Fane’) (1843–1905)

A LITTLE while my love and I,

Before the mowing of the hay,

Twined daisy-chains and cowslip-balls,

And caroll’d glees and madrigals,

Before the hay, beneath the may,

My love (who loved me then) and I.

For long years now my love and I

Tread sever’d paths to varied ends;

We sometimes meet, and sometimes say

The trivial things of every day,

And meet as comrades, meet as friends,

My love (who loved me once) and I.

But never more my love and I

Will wander forth, as once, together,

Or sing the songs we used to sing

In spring-time, in the cloudless weather:

Some chord is mute that used to ring,

Some word forgot we used to say

Amongst the may, before the hay,

My love (who loves me not) and I.