The Saddest Noise

Between the March and April line That magical frontier Beyond which summer hesitates Almost too heavenly near The saddest noise, the sweetest noise The maddest noise that grows and grows The birds, they make it in the spring At night's delicious close The saddest noise I know It makes us think of all the dead That sauntered with us here By separation's sorcery Made cruelly more dear It makes us think of what we had And what we now deplore We almost wish those siren throats Would go and sing no more An ear can break a human heart As quickly as a spear We wish the ear had not a heart So dangerously near