Maerchen

The Corner Stone written by Walter de la Mare

The Veil and Other Poems (1921)

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Soundless the moth-flit, crisp the death-watch tick;
Crazed in her shaken arbour bird did sing;
Slow wreathed the grease adown from soot-clogged wick:
          The Cat looked long and softly at the King.

Mouse frisked and scampered, leapt, gnawed, squeaked;
Small at the window looped cowled bat a-wing;
The dim-lit rafters with the night-mist reeked:
          The Cat looked long and softly at the King.

O wondrous robe enstarred; in night dyed deep:
O air scarce-stirred with the Court's far junketing:
O stagnant Royalty! A-swoon? Asleep?
          The Cat looked long and softly at the King.

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