Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, BROTHER RUGINO, by ANN HAMILTON (1902-)


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

BROTHER RUGINO, by                    
First Line: They loved him more to know that he was mad
Last Line: "till it is white"" -- and dipped the robe again."
Alternate Author Name(s): Hamilton, Anna E.; Hamilton, A. E.; Hamilton, Anne E.
Subject(s): Brothers; Old Age; Half-brothers


They loved him more to know that he was mad,
And called him "Aged Brother of the Birds"
After the fitful manner that he had
And his odd way of twittering his words.
He was so old they half believed his age
Gave him a mystic wisdom from the rest,
And thought him priest of some strange heritage
And, like the cloister rose-trees, held him blessed;
But mad he was; he feared they tried to seize
His share of food, and starve him, so he stored
Olives and grapes and apricots and cheese
In the small drawer beneath his place at board,

And while the flying notion was forgot
A brother bore the hidden bits away
After the drawer was full, and come to rot,
Yet he would start to hoard again next day.

The brothers saw him often laboring late
In the back courtyard where the wash-tubs stood,
Bruising his fingers on a scrubbing-grate
To cleanse his brown robe and its heavy hood;

One evening after sundown when the bell
Had chimed the final summons into prayer
A brother found him still beside the well,
Washing his garment with impassioned care,

And said, "Rugino, wilt thou not come in?
The chapel fills; now should thy labors wait,
The sun is gone, and thou wilt sleep in sin
To leave thy prayers unsaid, and time is late;

"This is the third day I have passed thee here
Scrubbing thy garments at a time for song;
See -- thy hands bleed -- such work holds little cheer --
How long wilt wash thy brown robe? pray, how long?"

"How long?" Rugino answered him, "Amen! --
Till it is white" -- and dipped the robe again.





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