In falling Timbers buried－1
There breathed a Man－
Outside－the spades－were plying－
The Lungs－within－
Could He－know－they sought Him－5
Could They－know－He breathed－
Horrid Sand Partition－
Neither－could be heard－
Never slacked the Diggers－9
But when Spades had done－
Oh, Reward of Anguish,
It was dying－Then－
Many Things－are fruitless－13
'Tis a Baffling Earth－
But there is no Gratitude
Like the Grace－of Death－
There breathed a Man－
Outside－the spades－were plying－
The Lungs－within－
Could He－know－they sought Him－5
Could They－know－He breathed－
Horrid Sand Partition－
Neither－could be heard－
Never slacked the Diggers－9
But when Spades had done－
Oh, Reward of Anguish,
It was dying－Then－
Many Things－are fruitless－13
'Tis a Baffling Earth－
But there is no Gratitude
Like the Grace－of Death－
(F.447/J.614)
[2, 3] a Man Outside:: a man was standing outside the falling timbers.
[3] spades:: spade-foot toads.
[3, 4] spades, plying, within:: the toads were under the earth, covered by timbers.
[5] they sought Him:: the toads tried to dig out to the man.
[9] Diggers:: the toads, not the man.
[12] dying:: the toads were blocked by timbers.
This includes tho Hermit Spade-Foot, S. solitarius having the teeth of a frog and the parotid glands of a toad. It is two inches long; lives in small holes, which it excavates in damp earth; feeds on insects; found from Massachusetts to the Carolinas. ─ Illustrated Natural History of the Animal Kingdom (1859)