The Selfsame Song

A bird sings the selfsame song, 

With never a fault in its flow, 

That we listened to here those long 

Long years ago.

A pleasing marvel is how 

A strain of such rapturous rote 

Should have gone on thus till now 

unchanged in a note!

--But its not the selfsame bird.-- 

No: perished to dust is he.... 

As also are those who heard 

That song with me. 

-o0o-