The Rover's Return
Jane was young and so was Kitty;
Love with them rang briefly true.
Kate would laugh and Jill was pretty;
But always I came home to you.
Sally’s hands gave gentle healing,
Jenny’s eyes were baby blue,
Jo’s lips soft, Nell’s smile appealing,
Love was all that Mary knew.
For years I drained Love’s heady glass
And plucked wild flowers, as men will do,
In meadows of the greenest grass.
But always I came back to you.
And now I’m old and dreams are over
I bring you roses sprigged with rue
And beg you to forgive this rover
Who makes his last way home to you.
Leo Vincent
(Previously published in The Spectator)