Brothers

Brothers written by William Henry Davies

From "Forty New Poems", (1918)

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They lived together day and night,
Two brothers, all alone:
Six weeks had gone, and neighbours said -
"We see no more than one.

Where is thy brother Charlie, Tom?
And is he sick?" they said.
Said Tom, that man so queer and quaint -
"My brother's still in bed."

And every night they heard his voice,
Down on the stairs below:
"And are you still in bed and sick -
How are you, Charlie, now?"

They forced the doors and entered in,
Found Charlie on the bed:
"I see a dead man here alive,"
The old physician said.

"For see the worms! They bubble here
In pools upon his flesh:
They wag the beard that's on his chin -
This body is not fresh."

Then came a voice all sharp and clear,
Down on the stairs below:
"And are you still in bed and sick -
How are you, Charlie, now?"

This work is in the public domain in countries where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or less.