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Philip Larkin - Maiden Name
Work rating: Medium

	Marrying left your maiden name disused.
	Its five light sounds no longer mean your face,
	Your voice, and all your variants of grace;
	For since you were so thankfully confused
	By law with someone else, you cannot be
	Semantically the same as that young beauty:
	It was of her that these two words were used.

	Now it`s a phrase applicable to no one,
	Lying just where you left it,scattered through
	Old lists, old programmes, a school prize or two
	Packets of letters tied with tartan ribbon -
	Then is it scentless, weightless, strengthless, wholly
	Untruthful? Try whispering it slowly.
	No, it means you. Or, since you`re past and gone,

	It means what we feel now about you then:
	How beautiful you were, and near, and young,
	So vivid, you might still be there among
	Those first few days, unfingermarked again.
	So your old name shelters our faithfulness,
	Instead of losing shape and meaning less
	With your depreciating luggage laden.
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