Geraldine, Geraldine, Do you remember where The willows used to screen The water flowing fair?
The mill-stream's banks of green Where first our love begun, When you were seventeen, And I was twenty-one?
Geraldine, Geraldine, Do you remember how From th’ old bridge we would lean — The bridge that's broken now —
To watch the minnows sheen, And the ripples of the Run, When you were seventeen, And I was twenty-one?
Geraldine, Geraldine, Do you remember too The old beech-tree, between Whose roots the wild flowers grew?
Where oft we met at e'en, When stars were few or none, When you were seventeen, And I was twenty-one?
Geraldine, Geraldine, The bark has grown around The names I cut therein, And the truelove-knot that bound;
The love-knot, clear and clean, I carved when our love begun, When you were seventeen, And I was twenty-one?
Geraldine, Geraldine, The roof of the farmhouse gray Is fallen and mossy green; Its rafters rot away:
The old path scarce is seen Where oft our feet would run, When you were seventeen, And I was twenty-one.
Geraldine, Geraldine, Through each old tree and bough The lone winds cry and keen — The place is haunted now,
With ghosts of what-has-been, With dreams of love-long-done, When you were seventeen, And I was twenty-one.
Geraldine, Geraldine, There, in your world of wealth, There, where you move a queen, Broken in heart and health,
Does there ever rise a scene Of days, your soul would shun, When you were seventeen, And I was twenty-one?
Geraldine, Geraldine, Here,‘ mid the rose and rue, Would God that your grave were green. And I were lying too!
Here on the hill, I mean, Where oft we laughed i’ the sun, When you were seventeen, And I was twenty-one.
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