ALWAYS on the eve of departure, Thy goods all packed, thy testament signed and witnessed, Touching with lightest touch all offerings life lays at thy feet: This is thy fate, O blest one! After the day's work leaving the papers behind on the desk, the tools on the bench, Letting the garden-line remain in the garden, leaving the newly sharpened pick in the hardening trough, Leaving the scissors and the sleeve-board on the floor where they fell, and the waistcoat-lining unfinished on the machine, Letting go all the plans and purposes of the day, forgetting about them as if they had never been: Lo! this is thy fate, O blest one! The chains of office round your neck, yet to uncoil and lay them quietly aside, The cares of state that have held you since morning holding you no longer, the axe-handle relaxing its grasp on you; Out of the old ever passing, free as air, For the acceptance of all, and the praise and blame of men, alike without prejudice: Lo! this is thy fate, O blest one! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TO A CAPTIOUS CRITIC by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR THE ERL-KING by JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE THE CROWING OF THE RED COCK by EMMA LAZARUS WEDDED (PROVENCAL AIR) by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH THE PEACE: TO HEAVEN ON A BEETLE by ARISTOPHANES THE LAY OF THE OLD WOMAN CLOTHED IN GREY; A LEGEND OF DOVER by RICHARD HARRIS BARHAM THE IVORY GATE; LOVE-IN-IDLENESS by THOMAS LOVELL BEDDOES GLENDEN'S DREAM by EMILY JANE BRONTE EPIGRAM ON THE COUNTESS OF SOMERSET'S PICTURE by WILLIAM BROWNE (1591-1643) |