The Lamb

"Jonathan Preble, agéd three,"

Has a lamb for company,

Carved of marble smooth and white

Lest he should be afraid at night

Or lonely by himself all day

Among the other tombstones gray;

So weatherworn they are and old,

To read them, you must scrape the mold

And lichens from the folded wings,

The carved scrolls, crowns, and harps with strings.

Other sheep and lambs may pass,

Nibbling in the dewy grass;

Tinkling bells call, "Come away

Where pasture slopes are sweet with bay,

And soft with tender greenery

In the fields above the sea."

If he hears, he does not show

Whether he would like to go.

Solemn, stiff, and very small,

Winter, summer, spring, and fall,

He stays, lest it should lonely be

For "Jonathan Preble, agéd three."