A E Housman and Her Strong Enchantments Failing

Loving this gruesome poem from Mr Alfred Edward Housman (AE to his friends I’ll bet) was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire in England.

Usually known as A. E. Housman (told you), was an English classical scholar and poet, best known to the general public for his cycle of poems A Shropshire Lad.

Her Strong Enchantments Failing

Her strong enchantments failing,
Her towers of fear in wreck,
Her limbecks dried of poison
And the knife at her back,

The Queen of air and darkness
Begins to shrill and cry,
‘Oh young man, oh my slayer,
Tomorrow you shall die.’

Oh Queen of air and darkness,
I think ‘tis truth you say,
And I shall die tomorrow;
but you will die today.