Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, PANEM ET CIRCENSES, by JOHN COWPER POWYS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

PANEM ET CIRCENSES, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: The crumbs of bitter comfort fall
Last Line: "we were revenged before we died!"
Subject(s): Comfort; Death; Life; Pleasure; Sun; Dead, The


The crumbs of bitter comfort fall;
Our throats are parched; our mouths are dry;
The dead leaves drift along the wall;
"A little happiness!" we cry.

"Not much -- not long; enough to drink
Once of the sweet sun, ere we go.
Not long -- not much; enough to know
Once how the gods live, ere we sink."

"Serve Life" -- they preach -- "Your pleasure's naught.
Serve Life and die." Must those, who never
Asked to be born, be balked of their retort?
"Life is our enemy forever!"

Thus have the generations cried --
"O Unknown, let us feel content
We had our jest before we went --
We were revenged before we died!"





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