The Roman Road runs straight and bare
As the pale parting-line in hair
Across the heath. And thoughtful men
Contrast its days of Now and Then,
And delve, and measure, and compare;
Visioning on the vacant air
Helmeted legionnaires, who proudly rear
The Eagle, as they pace again
The Roman Road.
But no tall brass-helmeted legionnaire
Haunts it for me. Uprises there
A mother’s form upon my ken,
Guiding my infant steps, as when
We walked that ancient thoroughfare,
The Roman Road.
(Thomas Hardy)
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Based on Topics: Mothers Poems, Hair Poems, Imagination & Visualization PoemsBased on Keywords: thoughtful, heath, contrast, delve, thoroughfare, helmeted, uprises, legionnaire, brass-helmeted