Old soldier

To Westminster, and there missed of my Lord, and so about noon I and W. Howe by water to the Wardrobe, where my Lord and all the officers of the Wardrobe dined, and several other friends of my Lord, at a venison pasty. Before dinner, my Lady Wright and my Lady Jem. sang songs to the harpsicon.
Very pleasant and merry at dinner. And then I went away by water to the office, and there staid till it was late. At night before I went to bed the barber came to trim me and wash me, and so to bed, in order to my being clean to-morrow.

I miss the war.
All the officers and friends of my past
sang songs
and then went away.

And night came
to wash me clean.


Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Wednesday 22 May 1661.

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