<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">Telling the Bees</h1><h1 align="center" class="head"><em>(For Edward Tennant)</em></h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">Tell</span> it to the bees, lest they</p><p class="line">Umbrage take and fly away,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">That the dearest boy is dead,</p><p class="line">Who went singing, blithe and dear,</p><p class="line">By the golden hives last year.</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Curly-head, ah, curly-head!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Tell them that the summer's over,</p><p class="line">Over mignonette and clover;</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Oh, speak low and very low!</p><p class="line">Say that he was blithe and bonny,</p><p class="line">Good as gold and sweet as honey,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">All too late the roses blow!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Say he will not come again,</p><p class="line">Not in any sun or rain,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Heart's delight, ah, heart's delight!</p><p class="line">Tell them that the boy they knew</p><p class="line">Sleeps out under rain and dew</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">In the night, ah, in the night!</p></div></body></html> · Great War