WHEN we began this never-ended
Kind companionship,
Childish greetings lit the splendid
Laughter at the lip;
You were ten and I eleven;
Henceforth, as we knew,
Was all the mischief under heaven
Set down to Lo and Lu.
Long we fought and cooed together,
Held an equal reign,
Snowballs could we fire and gather,
Twine a clover chain;
Sing in G an A flat chorus
’Mid the tuneful crew,—
No harmonious angels o’er us
Taught us, Lo or Lu.
Pleasant studious times have seen us
Arm-in-arm of yore,
Learnèd books, well-thumbed between us,
Spread along the floor;
Perched in pine-tops, sunk in barley,
Rogues, where rogues were few,
Right or wrong, in deed and parley,
Comrades, Lo and Lu.
Which could leap where banks were wider,
Mock the cat-bird’s call?
Which preside and pop the cider
At a festival?
Who became the finer Stoic
Stabbing trouble thro’,
Thrilled to hear of things heroic
Oftener, Lo or Lu?
Earliest, blithest! then and ever
Mirror of my heart!
Grow we old and wise and clever
Now, so far apart;
Still as tender as a mother’s
Floats our prayer for two;
Neither yet can spare the other’s
“God bless—Lo and Lu!”