I had a bitter enemy,
His heart to hate he gave,
And when I died he swore that he
Would dance upon my grave;
That he would leap and laugh because
A livid corpse was I,
And that’s the reason why I was
In no great haste to die.
And then – such is the quirk of fate,
One day with joy I read,
Despite his vitalizing hate
My enemy was dead.
Maybe the poison in his heart
Had helped to haste his doom:
He was not spared till I depart
To spit upon my tomb.
The other day I chanced to go
To where he lies alone.
‘Tis easy to forgive a foe
When he is dead and gone. . . .
Poor devil! Now his day is done,
(Though bright it was and brave,)
Yet I am happy there is none
To dance upon my grave.
(Robert William Service)
More Poetry from Robert William Service:
Robert William Service Poems based on Topics: Fate & Destiny, Devils, Courage, Reasoning, Enemy- Fighting Mac (Robert William Service Poems)
- If You Had The Choice Of Two Women To Wed (Robert William Service Poems)
- (The sunshine seeks my little room) (Robert William Service Poems)
- Willie (Robert William Service Poems)
- Milking Time (Robert William Service Poems)
- The Widow (Robert William Service Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Fate & Destiny Poems, Courage Poems, Reasoning Poems, Devils Poems, Enemy PoemsBased on Keywords: quirk, vitalizing