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A continuing selection of classic and contemporary poems.

O Do Not Leave Me

George MacDonald

O do not leave me, mother, lest I weep;
Till I forget, be near me in that chair.
The mother’s presence leads her down to sleep—
Leaves her contented there.

O do not leave me, lover, brother, friends,
Till I am dead, and resting in my place.
Love-compassed thus, the girl in peace ascends,
And leaves a raptured face.

Leave me not, God, until—nay, until when?
Not till I have with thee one heart, one mind;
Not till the Life is Light in me, and then
Leaving is left behind.
Online text © 1998-2008 Poetry X. All rights reserved.
From The Poetical Works of George MacDonald | 1893
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