As the waves of perfume, heliotrope, rose, Float in the garden when no wind blows, Come to us, go from us, whence no one knows; So the old tunes float in my mind, And go from me leaving no trace behind, Like fragrance borne on the hush of the wind. But in the instant the airs remain I know the laughter and the pain Of times that will not come again. I try to catch at many a tune Like petals of light fallen from the moon, Broken and bright on a dark lagoon. But they float away -- for who can hold Youth, or perfume or the moon's gold? | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...WHY THUS LONGING by HARRIET WINSLOW SEWALL THE TRAGEDY by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH DANUBE AND THE EUXINE by WILLIAM EDMONSTOUNE AYTOUN CLOUDS by EDUARD VON BAUERNFELD SONGS OF THE SEA CHILDREN: 97 by BLISS CARMAN SO WAGS THE WORLD by ELLEN MACKAY HUTCHINSON CORTISSOZ ODE SUPPOSED TO BE WRITTEN ON THE MARRIAGE OF A FRIEND by WILLIAM COWPER SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD: 8. THE FIRESIDE by CHRISTOPHER PEARSE CRANCH |