Saint Winifred

So I knew the school.

And they said, you're going to live at St. Winifred's.

I thought, OK, that will happen.

Well, two days later, Brother Richard, who was the principal seat in LaSalle, called.

despite those kids' best efforts to try to hijack the class.

That was a very good experience for me.

During that time, I moved from St. Winifred to the newly formed St. John Vianney Parish, which was St. George, St. Henry, St. Joe, and St. Canis when they merged those together.

And then in 1998, after six years of high school, I couldn't take it anymore.

This poem is in the public domain.

The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo Maiden's Song from St. Winifred's Well The Leaden Echo How to keep? Is there any, any? Is there none such? No one known some bow or brooch or braid or brace, lace, latch or catch or key to keep back beauty? Keep it, beauty, beauty, beauty, from vanishing away.

oh is there no frowning of these wrinkles rankid wrinkles deep down no waving off of these most mournful messengers still messengers sad and stealing messengers of grey no there's none there's none oh no there's none nor can you long be what you now are called fair do what you may do what do what you may and wisdom is early to despair be beginning since no nothing can be done to keep at bay age and ages evils hoar hair ruck and wrinkle drooping dying death's worst winding sheets tombs and worms and tumbling to decay so be beginning be beginning to despair oh there's none no no no there's none be beginning to despair to despair despair despair despair despair the golden echo there is one yes i have one hush there only not within seeing of the sun not within the singeing of the strong sun tall suns tinging or treacherous the tainting of the earth's air somewhere elsewhere there is ah well where one one yes i can tell such a key i do know such a place where whatever's prized and passes of us everything that's fresh and fast flying of us seems to us sweet of us and swiftly away with done away with undone undone done with soon done with and yet dearly and dangerously sweet of us the wimple water dimpled not by morning matchd face the flower of beauty fleece of beauty too too apt to ah to fleet never fleets more fastened with the tenderest truth to its own best being and its loveliness of use it is an everlastingness of

oh

She darkles down behind All of her glorious gainings unaware.

I told you that she turned Her mirror dim between whiles, But she sees herself, not him.

St. Winifred's Well by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

Read for LibriVox.org by Michael Maggs.

This poem is in the public domain.

The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo Maiden's Song from St. Winifred's Well The Leaden Echo How to keep? Is there any, any? Is there none such? No one known some bow or brooch or braid or brace, lace, latch or catch or key to keep back beauty? Keep it, beauty, beauty, beauty, from vanishing away.

oh is there no frowning of these wrinkles rankid wrinkles deep down no waving off of these most mournful messengers still messengers sad and stealing messengers of grey no there's none there's none oh no there's none nor can you long be what you now are called fair do what you may do what do what you may and wisdom is early to despair be beginning since no nothing can be done to keep at bay age and ages evils hoar hair ruck and wrinkle drooping dying death's worst winding sheets, tombs, and worms, and tumbling to decay.

So be beginning, be beginning to despair.

She darkles down behind All of her glorious gainings unaware.

I told you that she turned Her mirror dim between whiles, But she sees herself, not him.

St. Winifred's Well by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

Read for LibriVox.org by Michael Maggs.