And I am left, to gaze upon
The missing cow, or dog, or swan;
This absent creature, staid and grand
Whose features, formed by Nature's hand,
No longer seem to be ther e now --
This missing swan -- or dog -- or cow!
I've gazed until my eyes are watering
For this image, faint and tottering,
Once so vivid, real and near,
But yet it will not re-appear!
Absence compels me still to stare
Seeking the beat that is not there;
And so I spent almost all day!
I wish that beast would go away.

Claumb Zeemet O'Phoir
Ancient Fruitless Irrelevance Reborn
Thymes and Plaices, Eds.
Paiseley, Renfrewshire, 1999